THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

Ex  Libris 

Katharine  F.  Richmond 

and 
Henry  C.  Fall 


J  [  Cl%£sCLStsi~*^e-'  C7T~ 


OF 


SHELBURNE 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE, 


BY 


MRS.  R.  P.  PEABODY. 


GOKIIAM,  N.  H.  : 

MOUNTAINEER  PKINT, 

1682. 


HISTORY  OF 

SHELBUHNE 


BY  MRS.  R.  P.  PEABODT. 


The  town  of  Shelbnrne  is  situated  in 
Northern  New  Hampshire,  eighty-six 
miles  from  Portland,  Me..  and  twelve 
miles  from  the  foot  of  Mr.  Washington. 
The  Androscogsfin  river  divide*  it  nearly 
in  the  centre,  receiving  the  waters  of 
two  parallel  ranges  of  mountains.  Rat- 
tle river  is  the  largest  tiibntary  on  the 
southern  side,  and  L»ad  Mine  brook  on 
the  northern. 

The  town  is  only  six  miles  square, 
bounded  north  by  Success,  east  by 
Gilead.  Me.,  south  by  Bean's  Purchase 
and  west  by  Uoiham,  formerly  Shelbnrne 
Addition.  The  intervales  vary  from  a 
few  rods  to  half  a  mile  in  width,  and 
were  formerly  covered,  as  the  encircling 
mountains  are  now.  by  a  mixed  growth 
ot'spriif'.  hemlock,  pin  •  a<id  hard  wood. 
Mt.  Moriah  is  the  highest  elevation, 
4771  feet  in  height.  A  signal  station 
wan  established  theie  in  1879  with  a 
telephonic  communication  \\iih 


All  the  smaller  wiM  ani-nals  abound, 
while  hears.  H«hercats  and  deer  are 
occasionally  seen.  The  scenery  is  varied 
a:.d  lovly  to  those  artistic  enough  to 
appreciate  if.  We  heard  a  lady  ar;i.«t 
say  ["hat  cowhere  had  she  seen such  rieli 
ant  mil.  al  coloring  a*  in  ShelUurne,  Sev- 
eral picturesque  spot?  may  lie  found  on 
the  Lead  Mine  hrook.  and  the,  little  flat 
r-'Ilcil  The  Garden  is  used  as  a  camping 
ground  hy  tourists.  On  the  north -side 
of  Mt.Winthrop  is  Moses  rock,  so  carted, 
sixty  feet  high,  and  rMnsc  at  aii  angle  »T 
fifty  decrees.  In  the  winter'  wat-  r 
trickles  over  it.  tormiii£  a  beautiful'  i'-e 
ca-cnde.  Near  hy  was  rhu  Granny  S«:ir- 
hird  roi-k.  wl'ere  the  old  (loctress  h  Id 
h»r  hor-e  l»y  the  hriiHe  through  a  st'»niiy 
n  g''t.  It  has  since  h*e.n  split  up  (--r 
raiii'>ad  hrnlg^s  and  un  d  rpicnings.  On 
•PealuMly  l>ro«>k.  hetween  Red  Hilt  and 
Haldcap  are  Shelluirnf  F'alls.  In  the 
spr'ng  ih  ycauhes«en  two  third*  the 
length  of  i he  town,  appearing  HVe  a 
gie-it  drift  of  snow.  A  party  of  jre  ifl«- 
lueii  who  stopped  at 'the  St.  Charles 
House  cut  a  path  alonir  the  hank  of  'the 
hro«k.  and  the  Falls  are  one  of  il-e  ob- 
jects of  interest  to  siiniui<r  visitor-. 

Kahh-ap.  as  its  name  implies,  is  a  hare 
ledge  at  the  top.  a'td  in  height  'auks 
next  to  Moriah.  It  is  easy  to  asc«  ml 


ami  nffor  I*  a  (l-Hghtful  view.  A  little 
piwit  of  cl**ar,  cool  wHt**r  O'*ar  the  snm- 
inii  wa«  christened  Dre-im  Lake  by  soinu 
roiiiHrnic  visitor.  In  a  gno  I  sea«ou  blue- 
berries are  pientv  on  ;ill  tin*  inoitiitniilil 
on  the  tn»rtli  side  of  th*«  r.ver.  furnish- 
ing f'«»O'l  lor  tli«-  bears,  an  I  enough  to 
P|»:IIV  for  anyone  wh'>  chooses  to  carry 
i  IHMII  niV  t  In'  bills. 

'I'bn  tt»wn  was  jriHiited  in  1770  by 
G«'Or>.re  III  to  Mark  Went, worth  -and  six 
otber-s,  ami  was  survey«'il  by  Tlieodnr^ 
Aik;n»on  tlie  saint- yt  ar.  In  1820  vvht-n 
it  was  incorpoiaU'il.  the  population  wis 
230.  In  1859  it  was  480.  but  afur  the 
building  of  the  G.  T.  K.  »nd  the  estab- 
li-liiin-iu  ot  the  niaHiine  «.|i>ips  ;  n  I  lum- 
ber mills  'it  <  ;«>rii:im  the  yoiiiiyer  prople 
kept  moving awav.  till  l>v  the  \nt-t  cen- 
sus the  population  is  onlv  259. 

CHAPTER    II. 

THE  FIRST  SETTLERS. 
To  avoid  repetition  and  confusion,  we 
shall  only  in  this  chapter  give  a  brief 
notice  of  some  of  the  old<  r  fnnilie*. 
tracing  them  down  to  the  present  jiem  ra- 
tion, and  reserve  an  account  of  tlie:r  in- 
•  Inytries.  fonvi:n;enee  for  travi  1. chinches, 
schools  &c..  tor  subsequent  chapters. 
The  same  spirit  of  n..re*t  that  drove  our 
lorefaUiei>  lr<  in  Kngl:ind  io  me  I'm  bid- 


their  descendants  to  leave  the  growing 
town«  :nn|  cnliivaieil  farm*  of  that  pros- 
perous SIH  e.  ;iu  I  peek  -A  home  in  the 
gloomy  ior.-.;t;«  of  northern  New  Hamp- 
shire. Aninn^  the  Hr*t  to  i*-«v«  tlio 
coiuforts  of  civili/C'l  sociitv  f»r  th« 
dangers  iin  I  priv.-itions  if  tlin  \v;l<!enicss 


HOPE  AUSTIN. 

who  csiiiH'  to  Slidhiirne  more  thsm  a 
hiniilre<l  j'Hsir*  ugo.  ;HM|  !»•  gun  a  <-l-ar- 
injf  on  tin*  riorrli  side  <>i  the  rwr.  near 
the  Main  •  lire.  Tin-  sn  >\\  \vsi<  livt*  i<  ec 
(!•  e|>  wh^n  his  wile  vva'k11*!  n|i  I'r  -in 
]i«-tli<  1  r;iiTy  n  r  o  !••  diil'l  in  In  r  arms 
while  tw-i  other*  clung  to  h  r  .-kins. 
With  a  ie'-klf.<.*  iiunroviilciice  har«lly 
••xcii-a'il'-.  Mr.  Austin  nail  neg  ei-red  10 
provide  «-vi  n  l<  inp'oai'v  shrlii-r  fur  dU 
liitie  laiii'lv.  IJut  >|IIM<:<-  bough*  wire 
hainly.  and  in  a  short  «iine  a  roof  v\a* 
thio^n  o\-i  r  the  lo>;  ca'iin.  «om«*  tonth 
boards  nailed  ro^eiher  for  a  «l'-or.  the 
snow  sh'»VfJeil  out  and  a  tiiv  hiiiK.  b^- 
tue«'ii  stoiiHi*  or  "i'1-eii  l"g-.  Here  th'-y 
livi.'l.  inakintr  occasional  iinproveine'iis 
until  p.-ofperity  enabled  biin  to  build  a 
more  coiiVfiiient  frauif  hou»e. 

Ot  the  family  of    tive    children.     Mary 
and  Judith  remained  >'nu.'-.     Lydia  and 


5 

Hannah  married  Samuel  Wheeler,  James 
married  Sally,  daughter  of  Joseph  Lary, 
Jr..  of  Gilead,  and  built  a  handsome  two- 
story  house  a  little  below  his  father's. 
Of  his  children,  Johu  and  Caverno  died, 
and  Dearborn  married  Rose,  daughter  of 
Rev.  Ezekiel  Coffin,  and  lived  at  home 
till  after  the  death  of  his  father,  when 
he  moved  to  Gilead,  and  the  name  of 
Shelburne's  first  resident  was  dropped 
from  her  annals. 

Mr.  Hope  Austin  is  remembered  by 
elderly  people  of  to-day  as  a  pleasant- 
spoken  old  gentleman,  very  much  bent, 
walking  back  and  forth  from  his  house  to 
the  mill,  with  his  hands  clasped  behind 
him;  and  the  Austins,  as  a  family,  were 
pleasant,  hospitable  and  industrious. 

DANIEL  INGALLS 
lived  just  across  the  river,  and  was  Mr. 
Austin's  nearest  neighbor.  He  was 
much  esteemed  for  his  high  moral  char- 
acter. Religion  was  a  part  of  his  daily 
life,  but  he  was  cheerful  and  could  even 
make  a  dry  joke  now  and  then.  One 
spring  he  killed  a  moose  and  ar-conling 
to  custom,  invited  his  neighbor*  t<>  go 
out  and  haul  in  what  they  wanted.  For 
some  reason  Mr.  Austin  failed  to  go,  but 
the  next  day  be  happened  in  just  as  the 
deacon's  family  were  sitting  down  to 
dinner. 


6 

'•Won't  you  have  a  piece  of  roast 
moose  meat,  Mr.  Austin?"  inquired  Mr. 
Ingalls.  pleasantly. 

"T  don't  care  if  I  do,"  sniffing  the 
savory  steam  and  putting  up  his  hand  to 
remove  a  quid  of  tobacco. 

•  W »•!!,"  was  the  unexpected  response, 
'•you  can  have  all  you  want  hy  going 
out  after  it." 

Moses,  his  oldest  son,  was  a  sailor; 
energetic,  resolute,  and  rather  rough. 
It  is  said  his  prospective  mother-in-law 
said  to  him,  jocosely : 

'•Nancy  will  hold  your  nose  to  the 
grindstone,  Mr.  Ingalls." 

"I'll  give  you  leave  to  turn,  ma'am, 
when  she  does,"  was  his  defiant  answer. 

He  married  Nancy  Barker,  and  lived 
near  where  C.  J.  Lary  now  does.  Dan- 
iel, his  son.  married  Mary  Barker,  and 
cleared  a  farm  on  Ingalls'  brook,  where 
his  widow  now  lives  with  her  son  Henry 
and  his  family.  Frederick,  second  son 
of  Moses,  married  Susan  Heath,  died  in 
his  prime,  and  his  descendants  moved 
away. 

Robert,  third  son  of  Moses,  married 
Rowena  Hills,  and  bought  the  farm  on 
Clemens  brook,  cleared  by  the  Evanses. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men 
in  the  place,  filling  many  offices  with 
honor  and  ability,  It  is  remarked  of 


7 

him,  as  of  the  late  J.  R.  Hitchcock,  "He 
always  recognized  an  acquaintance,  rich 
or  poor,  high  or  low,  with  the  same 
readiness  and  courtesy.''  It  is  a  trait  of 
character  well  worth  cultivating  by 
many,  flis  daughter.  Caroline,  a  most 
estimable  lady,  died  at  Gorham  in  1870, 
when  the  typhoid  fever  was  such  a  con- 
tagious and  fatal  disease.  Rufus  married 
Emeline,  great-grandaughter  of  Capt. 
Joseph  Lary  of  Gilead.  She  also  died  dur- 
ing the  epidemic,  and  several  year?  after 
Mr.  Ingalls  married  Hattie  McKe'ncy. 
His  son,  Frederick,  only  fifteen  years 
old,  edits  .a  small  paper,  called  The 
Little  Messenger. 

FLETCHER  INGALLS, 

the  younger  son  of  Deacon  Daniel,like  his 
father,  was  of  a  very  high  moral  nature. 
Every  birth-day  he  religiously  kept  as  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  At  a  time 
when  intoxicating  liquors  were  free,  al- 
most as  water,  he  was  a  firm  advocate 
of  temperance.  The  Cold  Water  Army, 
an  organization  designed  to  embrace  the 
youth  of  both  sexes,  was  his  conception, 
and  the  first  temperance  lecture  given 
here  was  by  his  appointment.  He  mar- 
ried Mercy  Lary.  who  died  shortly  after 
the  birth  of  her  child.  For  many  years 
her  sister  kept  house  for  Mr.  Ingalls, 


aid  cared  for  his  lirtle  daughter  Polly, 
who  married  Barker  Bnrbank,  son  of 
Capt.  Eliphalet  Burbank  of  Gilead.  Mr. 
Bnrbank  was  a  practical  fanner,  a  suc- 
cessful merchant,  and  a  lawyer  of  con- 
siderable ability.  He  built  a  large,  hand- 
some house  a  short  distance  from  his 
father-in-law,  acquired  a  comfortable 
fortune,  and  reared  a  family  of  fourteen 
children.  Only  two  remain  in  town. 
Payson  married  Mary  Smith,  and  has 
six  sons,  enough  to  perpetuate  the 
family  name,  and  Martin,  who  married 
Mary,  grandaughter  of  Capt.  Joseph 
Pinkham,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Jackson. 

Judge  Robert  Burbank,  of  Boston, 
now  owns  the  homestead,  and  has  added 
to  it  till  his  estate  is  the  largest  in  town. 
A  more  extended  description  of  the 
house  and  grounds  will  be  given  in  a 
chapter  devoted  to  the  stock  farm.  The 
Ingalls'  have  always  borne  a  stainless 
name,  and  in  wealth  and  social  position, 
in  age  and  rank,  as  one  of  the  first  fam- 
ilies of  Shelburne. 


STEPHEN  MESSER. 

Fortune,  as  well  as  Justice,  is  blind  and 
fickle,  and  her  gifts  nre  bestowed  more 
by  chance  than  merit.  Although  as 
worthy  as  Ms  neighbors.  Mr.  Messer  was 
very  poor,  and  often  sorely  troubled  to 
provide  food  for  his  little  ones.  Fortu- 
nately, they  had  a  cow.  and  her  milk 
gave  a  relish  to  potatoes  and  hasty  pud- 
ding when  nothing  else,  not  even  salt, 
could  be  obtained.  Once,  not  a  potato 
nor  bit  of  meal  remained.  The  only 
article  of  food  in  the  house  was  a  little 
pat  of  tinsalted  butter.  Samuel,  three 
or  four  years  old.  went  up  to  the  shelf 
•and  running  his  little  fore  finger  through 
it.  put  some  in  his  month.  When  one  of 
the  older  children  directed  Mrs  Messer's 
attention  to  him.  the  poor,  discouraged 
mother  burst  into  tears,  exclaiming: 
••Do  let  the  poor  little  dear  c;it  it  if  he 
can." 

But  their  scanty  allowance  did  not 
seem  to  shorten  the  lives  or  weaken  the 
constitution  of  the  hardy  family.  Per- 
haps, like  Dr.  Tanner,  when  they  got 
something  to  eat  they  made  up  lost 
time. 

John,  one  of  the  sons,  married  Sally 
Peabody,  and  always  worked  out,  dying 
at  a  good  old  age  as  poor  as  in  his  child- 


10 

hood.  Luck,  good  or  bad,  runs  in  the 
blood,  like  consumption  or  scrofula,  and 
a  man  is  no  more  to  blame  for  being  poor 
than  he  is  for  being  bald  headed  or  near 
sighted..  Uncle  John,  as  he  was  familiar- 
ly called,  was  a  great  hunter,  or  rather 
was  fond  of  limiting,  for  one  of  his  old 
acquaintances  says  lie  was  so  cowardly 
lie'd  climb  an  alder  bush  with  his  snow- 
shoes  on  if  he  saw  so  much  as  a  flock  of 
wild  ducks.  One  spring  he  went  out 
deer-hunting  in  company  with  Enoch 
and  Allan  Peabody.  They  went  as  far 
as  success,  and  Allan,  who  was  suffer- 
ing with  sick  headache,  wanted  to  stop 
over  night  at  Ben  Beau's;  but  Mr.  Mes- 
ser  insisted  on  returning.  It  was  grow- 
ing dark;  the  crust  was  like  glare  ice. 
and  presently  Uncle  JohnVs  snow-shoes 
went  out  from  under  him,  and  away  IIH 
went  down  the  hill,  shouting  at  the  top 
of  his  voice, 

"I'm  gone,  I'm  gone,  sartin  as  crea- 
tion!" 

Sticking  their  axe  in  the  snow,  the 
young  men  let  themselves  carefully 
down  the  steep  incline.  Directed  by  his 
loud  lamentations  they  soon  found  the 
clumsy  old  gentleman  hung  up  in  a 
spruce  top.  With  some  difficulty  he  was 
set  to  rights,  and  then  the  axe  was  lost, 
and  Allan  was  too  sick  and  cold  to  care 


11 

if  the  whole  party  had  been  lost.  Evident- 
ly they  could  not  go  on  till  daylight,  and 
Enoch  started  a  fire  and  tended  it  all 
nij>ht  with  such  fuel  as  he  could  find  and 
break  up. 

Nancy  Messer,  a  daughter  of  Stephen, 
married  Amos  Peabody.  and  after  living 
in  Gilead  and  Kandolph  came  to  Shel- 
burne  and  settled  on  Peabody  brook, 
where  three  of  their  children,  Aaron, 
Nancy  and  Allan,  still  reside.  Four 
others.  Hannah.  Esther,  Bathsheba  and 
Elmira,  died  of  consumption  while  in 
youth.  Stephen  married  Hepxibeth 
Evans  and  cleared  the  adjoining  farm. 
He  was  intimately,  connected  with  the 
town  business,  and  also  with  the  affairs 
of  the  church.  He  was  never  very  strong 
but  lived  to  the  age  of  fifty,  when  he 
died  with  that  scourge  of  his  family, 
consumption.  His  widow  lived  on  the 
home  (arm  with  her  son  Roswell  till  her 
death  last  December.  Enoch,  another 
son  of  Amos  Peabody.  married  Judith 
Wheeler  and  lived  for  several  years  next 
farm  to  his  brother  Stephen.  Then  he 
moved  to  Berlin  and  subsequently  to 
Stark.  In  the  cellar  over  which  his 
house  stood  is  growing  a  white  birch 
tree,  four  feet  in  circumference. 

Betsy    Messer,   daughter    of   Stephen 


12 

Messer.  went  to  Andover  to  live  with  an 
aunt,  where  she  met  and  married 
THOMAS  HUBBARD. 

They  lived  at  AnUover,  Dracut  and 
Bradford  before  they  came  to  Shelburne. 
Mr?.  Hubbaid  rode  from  Massachusetts 
on  horse-back,  and  the  rough  log  house 
•on  the  hillside  must  have  looked  very 
uninviting.  They  reared  a  large  family 
of  children,  experiencing  all  the  discom- 
forts that  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  peo- 
ple with  limited  means  and  a  growing 
family.  Afterwards  they  lived  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  John  Head,  and 
finally  settled  near  the  top  of  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Great  Hill.  Of  their 
children.  Erastus  and  Rufus  married 
daughters  of  Abraham  Wilson  and  re- 
moved to  Wliitefield.  Enoch  and  Leon- 
ard married  daughters  of  Amos  Peabody. 
Jefferson  married  a  daughter  of  George 
Green  and  for-,  twent3r-five  years  was 
station  ag*>nt  of  the  G.  T.  E.  at  Shel- 
burne.  No  other  proof  is  needed  of  his 
honesty  and  fidelity.  Maria  Ilubbard 
married  Jo.*hua  Ken  rial  1.  and  her  daugh- 
ter Pamela  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Green  of 
Portland. 

We  were  shown  a  looking-glass  and 
warming-pan  that  formed  part  of  the 
household  goods  of  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Thomas 
Ilubbard,  and  were  brought  from  Mass- 


13 

achnsetts  nearly  three  quarters  of  a 
century  ago.  The  names  of  Messer, 
Peabody  and  Hubbard  are  closely  en- 
twined, and  their  descendants  comprise 
a  large  proportion  of  our  present  popu- 
lation. 

THOMAS  GREEN. 

Some  people  have  a  faculty  for  mak- 
ing money  under  the  mo^t  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, while  in  others  this  faculty 
is  wholly  lacking.  Although  Mr.  Green 
began  a  home  in  the  heart  of  the  forest, 
by  good  calculation  and  econom}*  he  not 
only  made  a  living,  but  laid  up  consider- 
able property.  In  his  (-Id  age  his  mind 
became  feeble  and  disordered,  and 
though  worth  enough  to  buy  half  the 
town,  he  was  haanted  by  a  fear  of  starva- 
tion. One  evening  in  early  spring  h»> 
came  out  of  bis  room,  with  slippers  on, 
and  went  out  at  the  hack  door.  He  was 
never  seen  again.  His  footsteps  were 
followed  across  the  intervale  on  to  the 
river.  The  dark,  swift-flowing  water 
told  the  rest.  Whether  he  meditated 
suicide  or  wandered  aimlessly  on,  un- 
thinking of  the  open  channel,  will  never 
be  known. 

Edward,  a  son  of  Thomas,  married 
Nancy  Birdiu.  Twenty-one  of  his  fam- 
ily reside  in  town.  Three  children,  Ly- 


14 

ina-i.  Darius  .and  Manson,  ten  grand- 
children and  eight  great-grandchildren. 
George,  another  son  of  Thomas,  when 
he  became  of  age,  received  one  hundred 
dollars  in  cash,  and  a  piece  of  land  on 
the  Magalloway.  Not  liking  to  settle 
so  far  from  his  friends.  George  sold  this 
land  and  bought  a  lot  just  across  the 
river  from  home.  Unlike  some  young 
men  who  begin  at  the  top  and  tumble 
down.  Mr.  Green  began  at  the  bottom 
and  climbed  up.  He  built  a  tiny  house 
containing  only  a  kitchen  and  bedroom, 
took  a  boy  by  the  name  of  Abial  Walker, 
and  st-t  up  housekeeping  by  himself. 
Thiee  or  four  years  after  he  married 
Hannah  Lary,  a  younger  sister  of  James 
Austin's  wiff.  As  fast  as  his  means  al- 
lowed lie  built  additions  till  in  1817  it 
was  a  long,  two-story  house,  with  large, 
square  rooms  above  and  below.  It  was 
now  tnrnished  for  a  tavern,  and  for  more 
than  fifty  ye  us  aftorded  accommodation 
for  the  traveling  public.  People  from 
Lancaster  (Upper  Coos)  on  th^ir'vvay  to 
Portland,  frequently  fifteen  or  twenty 
double  teams  at  once,  stopped  here  to 
bait  their  horses  and  t  ike  something  to 
comfort  themselves.  Of  course  it  was 
dreadful  wrong,  (taking  something,  we 
mean,  not  baiting  the  horses)  but  why 
was  it  any  worse  to  step  up  to  the  bar 


15 

before  a  whole  roomful,  toss  down  a 
glass  of  sweetened  water,  or  anything 
else,  than  it  is  now  to  wink  to  ones 
bosom  friend,  go  round  A's  barn,  drink 
the  same  stuff,  only  nastier,  from  a  little 
black  bottle,  and  come  back  with  such 
an  absurd  look  of  innocence  and  uncon- 
ciousness?  Let  us  be  consistent,  and  not 
hold  up  our  hands  in  holy  horror  at  th« 
motes  in  our  ancestors'  eyes  while  the 
beam  remains  in  our  own. 

When  the  Grand  Trunk  railroad  was 
built,  the  glory  of  Green's  tavern  de- 
parted. M>.  Green  w;is  an  honest,  plain- 
spoken  man.  It  is  said  of  him  that  know- 
ingly, he  would  not  defraud  a  person  of 
^  single  cent.  His  two  daughters  mar- 
ried and  lived  near,  and  his  widow  died 
in  1879,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
two  years. 

Jonas,  youngest  son  of  Thomas,  was  a 
hard-working,  stern,  and  rather  unsocial 
man,  but  his  life's  history  is  invested 
with  a  romance  worthy  the  skillful  pen 
of  an  accomplished  novelist.  His  first 
choice  for  a  wife  was  Rachel  Lary,  The 
day  was  set  foi  the  wedding,  and  part  of 
her  things  had  been  carried  to  the  new 
home,  but  Death  suddenly  appeared  and 
claimed  the  bride  for  his  own.  After  a 
suitable  time,  Mr.  Green  transferred  his 
affections  to  her  sister  Mercy,  and  rnar- 


16 

rieil  her.  She  died  in  a  few  years,  and 
their  only  child,  a  little  daughter,  was 
also  taken,  leaving  Mr.  Green  again 
alone.  He  afterwards  married  the 
youngest  sister,  Susannah,  who  survives 
him.  His  ildest  son.  Thomas,  married 
Colossia  Coffin,  and  was  killed  at  JNaples, 
Me.,  by  the  falling  of  a  chimney.  Last 
summer,  Oliver,  the  youngest  son  of 
Jonas,  bought  the  Green  tavern  stand 
and  remodeled  it  for  a  summer  boarding 
house.  He  is  an  experienced  hotel  pro- 
prietor, and  reported  wealthy. 

Mr.  Jonas  Green  lived  on  the  home 
place  till  the  death  of  his  parents,  then 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Charles  Phil- 
brook,  and  finally  on  the  Jewett  farm. 
His  last  sickness  was  very  distressing, 
but  he  bore  ir.  as  he  did  the  many  disap- 
pointments and  perplexities  of  his  life, 
with  patience  and  fortitude,  feeling  as- 
sured of  unbroken  rest  and  happiness  in 
eternity. 

Eunice  Prhtt  was  a  sister  of  Thomas 
Green's  wife,  and  came  with  them  from 
Massachusetts.  During  the  twenty  years 
that  Mrs.  Green  suffered  with  consump- 
tion Aunt  Eunice  faithfully  cared  for  her 
and  attended  to  the  housework.  She 
lived  to  see  two  generations  grow  up 
around  her.  and  the  forest  give  place  to 
fertile  farms.  She  died  on  the  home 


17 

place,    of  cancer,    nearly    thirty    years 
ago. 

SAMUEL  WHEELER 
was  an  old  revolutionary  soldier,  and 
dearly  loved  to  recount  the  dangers  he 
had  passed  and  the  privations  he  had  en- 
dured. One  of  his  stories  was  this:  A 
squad  of  about  forty  Continentals  were 
tired  upon  by  a  party  of  Tories,  lying  in 
ambush.  With  ready  presence  of  mind 
the  commanding  officer  ordered  one  hun- 
dred to  keep  the  road,  and  the  rest  to 
scour  the  woods.  Thinking  they  had 
more  than  met  their  match,  the  Tories 
find  in  confusion,  firing  their  guns  in  the 
air.  "I  did  hate"  said  the  old  man,  'to 
see  them  waste  their  powder  so."  When 
we  remember  what  difficulty  the  Con- 
tinental army  had  to  get  ammunition, 
the  force  of  his  remark  will  be  appreci- 
ated. Mr.  Wheeler's  clearing  was  on 
the  Ingalls  brook  close  t<>  the  base  of 
the  mountains,  where  the  sun  lay  warm- 
ly till  past  noon,  and  the  cold,  north- 
west wind  could  not  striKe.  In  the  cold 
reason  of  1816,  when  snow  fell  every 
month  of  the  year,  he  was  the  only  one 
whose  corn  got  ripe  enough  to  grow 
again.  The  next  spring  he  sold  it  for 
two  dollars  a  bushel.  His  daughter  Lucy 
kept,  his  home  many  years,  and  after- 
ward lived  with  her  brother  Amos,  who 


18 

married  Lyclia  Gould  and  moved  to 
Milan.  He  made  spinning  wheels  and 
regulated  clocks. 

Samuel.  Jr..  was  a  licensed  preacher, 
and  in  the  absence  of  a  regular  minister 
conducted  the  religious  exercises  of  the 
place.  He  married  the  Austin  sisters, 
L}r.lia  and  Hannah.  The  children  were 
Austin.  Joseph,  Samuel,  Anna,  Margaret 
and  Judith. 

Austin  WHS  a  Freewill  Baptist  minister, 
talented  and  well  educated.  Judith  mar- 
ried Enoch  Peabody  and  moved  to  Stark, 
where  two  of  her  daughters,  Mrs.  James 
Dodge  and  Mrs.  James  Larrabee  slill 
reside. 

Anna  was  Mrs.  Reuben  Hobart,  and 
Margaret,  or  Aunt  Peggy,  as  she  WHS 
familiarly  called,  lived  with  Samuel,  and 
died  single. 

Samuel  married  Eliza,  daughter  of 
Lite  Burbank,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children.  Years  after  when  his  second 
wife  died  leaving  a  family  of  four  little 
ones,  his  daughter  Betsy,  only  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years  old,  took  charge,  and 
with  a  patience  and  self-abnegation  rare- 
ly equalled,  stayed  with  the  orphan 
children  till  the  youngest  sister  was 
capable  of  managing  her  father's  house. 
A  few  years  ago  Mr.  Wheeler  bought  the 
Austin  farm,  where  he  now  lives,  and 


19 

his  son  Ellery  owns  the  home  place. 
This  is  the  only  farm  in  town  that  has 
descended  from  lather  to  son  in  a  direct 
line  for  four  generations.  We  wish  more 
pride  of  ancestry  were  felt  in  this  coun- 
try, and  farms  redeemed  from  the  forest 
might  be  bequeathed  to  children  for 
centuries,  a  priceless  legacy  entailed  by 
love,  if  not  by  law. 


AND^CLE.  \fENS. 

Jonathan  Evans  and  Benjamin  Clem- 
ens came  to  Shelbnrne  at  the  same  or 
nearly  the  ?ame  time.  They  were  ,both 
soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  and  probably 
tioth  stationed  at  Fort  Ticonderoga. 
Daniel  Evans,  son  of  Jon  tthmi.  married 
Phila  Clemens,  and  cleared  the  farm 
owned  by  Otis  Evans.  He  was  a  man 
of  influence  and  wealth,  owning  what  is 
now  four  farms.  He  injured  himself 
while  fighting  fire,  and  for  several  years 
before  his  death  was  a  mental  and  physi- 
cal wreck, 

Jonathan  Evans,  Jr.  married  Mary 
Lary  and  lived  on  the  Charles  Philbrook 
farm.  He  was  a  large,  portly  man,  and 
his  three  sons,  Hazen,  Jabez  and  Augus- 
tus. living  at  Gorham.  resemble  him  in 
this  particular.  Since  writing  the  above 
we  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Augustus 
Evans,  He  was  all  ready  to  go  into  the 


20 

woods  to  work,  and  on  retiring  set  the 
alarm  on  tlie  clock  that  he  might  rise 
early.  At  about  the  time  he  intended  to 
rise  he  was  found  5n  a  dying  condition 
by  his  housekeeper. 

Sarah,  a  daughter  of  the  elder  Jona- 
than, was  left  behind  when  the  rest  of 
the  family  moved  here,  and  owing  to 
imperfect  comiiiunication  was  lost  sight 
of.  Many  years  after,  a  person  from 
Coos  county  happened  to  be  HtPlainfield 
and  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Gates. 
Incidently  he  mentioned  the  Evans'  of 
Shelburne.  Mrs.  Gates  was  interested 
at  once,  and  after  learning  their  names 
arid  antecedents,  was  convinced  that 
they  were  her  own  folks.  The  next 
year,  in  company  with  her  son  Jefferson, 
she  sought  the:n  out.  The  reunion  must 
have  been  more  sad  than  pleasant.  Her 
parents,  whom  she  had  last  seen  in  the 
prime  of  life,  were  bowed  down  with 
age;  the  little  brothers  were  middle-aged 
men.  and  she  herself  a  gray-haired, 
wrinkled  woman.  Eventually  her  hus- 
band, Bazeleel  Gates,  moved  here  with 
his  family,  and  bought  the  farm  owned 
by  William  Newell.  Caleb,  the  young- 
est son,  married  Bathsheba  Porter  and 
remained  at  home.  Thpy  had  four  child- 
ren, Woodbnry,  Cass,  Matilda  and  Frank. 
Matilda  died  at  Newburyport  about  ten 


21 

years  ago.  Woodbury  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Ha/en  Evans,  and  owns  a  meat 
ami  grocery  store  at  Gorham. 

Jefferson  'jates  married  Maria  Porter, 
and  lived  on  the  farm  adjoining  his 
brother  Caleb's.  His  widow  survives 
him.  and  remains  on  the  home  farm  with 
her  son  Henry  and  his  family. 

Simeon  Evans  was  a  brother  to  Jona- 
than, and  came  from  Massachusetts 
about  the  same  time.  Ezekiel,  Elijah, 
Lydia  and  John  were  his  children. 
Speaking  of  his  cousin  Daniel,  E/.ekiel 
=aid  :  "Daniel  has  got  a  corn-fed  wife, 
but  I'm  going  to  get  one  led  on  ginger- 
bread." So  he  went  back  to  Massachu- 
setts, won  his  wife  and  brought  her  here 
on  horse-back.  The  most  conspicuous 
article  among  her  wedding  finery  was  a 
lilac  silk  bonnet,  which  was  the  envy 
and  admiration  of  all  her  neighbors. 
They  lived  just  below  Mr.  Haxeltine's, 
in  the  ruined,  deserted  house  still  stand- 
ing, and  raised  a  large  family  of  child- 
ren. Only  Mrs.  Moses  Hazeltine  remains 
in  town.  Parker  Evans,  one  of  the 
grandchildren,  is  a  highly  esteemed  and 
efficient  engineer  on  the  G.  T.  R.  *••  > 

Elijah,  another  son  of  Simeon,  lived 
on  the  Hitchcock  intervale.  His  son 
Homy  married  Joanna  Leighton,  and 
built  the  [Hitchcock  cottage,  where  he 


lived  several  years.  Afterward  he  bought 
the  place  now  owned  by  his  son-in-law. 
Trustem  Minard. 

John  Evans,  a  third  son  of  Simeon, 
died  while  at  work  on  Thomas  Green's 
house.  The  frame  was  partly  up.  and 
standing  on  the  top,  Mr.  Evans  reached 
down  to  lift  up  a  heavy  stick,  and  pitch- 
ed headlong  into  the  cellar.  Ic  was  sup- 
posed he  broke  a  blood-vessel  from  over- 
exertion,  lie  left  seven  little  children, 
among  whom  were  Mrs.  Abraham  Wil- 
son and  Mrs.  Palmer,  twins. 

Mr.  Clemens  had  a  large  family,  but 
none  of  his  descendants  are  now  in  town 
except  those  connected  with  the  Evans'. 
John  married  Dolly  Jackson  and  had 
eleven  sons  and  one  daughter;  enough, 
one  would  think,  ro  keep  a  man  fiom 
dying  dependent  on  the  town,  as  he 
did. 

Typhena  married  Thomas  Jackraan 
arid  lived  where  Moses  Hazeltine  does. 
Mr.  Jackman  died  suddenly  of  heart 
disease  while  yet  :i  young  man.  He  cut 
two  cords  of  wood  on  the  day  of  his 
death,  and  came  into  the  house  at  night 
in  his  usual  hejilth.  Taking  up  his  little 
daughter  he  talked  and  played  with  her 
for  some  time.  "Now  I  must  go  and  tie 
up  the  cattle."  he  said,  putting  her  down 
with  a  kiss,  "be  H  good  girl  till  I  come 


hack."  Mrs.  Jack  man  got  her  supper 
ready,  and  looking  out  tor  her  husband 
was  surprised  to  see  the  cattle  still  in 
the  yard.  It  was  dark  in  tlie  Darn,  but 
she  went  in  and  felt  round  on  the  floor, 
fearing  he  might  have  fallen  from  the 
scaffold.  Failing  to  tind  him  she  got  a 
light,  and  called  Ezfkiel  Evans.  As  he 
opene.l  the  tie-up  door,  the  first  object 
the  wife's  horrified  eyes  rested  upon  was 
the  lifeless  form  of  her  husband.  Sabri- 
na.  the  eldest,  married  Bostie  Head; 
Eliza.  Sewell  Lary,  and  Barak,  Arvilla, 
granda lighter  of  John  Evans. 

JONATHAN  PEA BODY. 

It  is  a  popular  legend  in  this  family 
that  two  brothers  of  thensime  came  over 
from  England  in  the  May  Flower.  Soon 
after  their  arrival  one  of  them  died,  and 
nil  the  Peabodys  in  this  country  are  de- 
scendants of  the  survivor. 

Jonathan  Peabody  came  from  Andover 
when  a  young  man,  married  Phebe  Kirn- 
ball  of  Bethel,  and  lived  on  the  farm  now- 
owned  by  Horace  Green.  He  had  five 
children.  Priscilla,  (Mrs.  Ben  Bean) 
Phebe.  Sally.  (Mrs.  John  Messer)  Amos 
and  Oliver.  He  afterward  married  Pru- 
dence Patterson,  a  widow  with  three 
children.  Betsy.  Jennie  and  Hoeea.  From 
this  marriage  there  were  live  more  child- 


ren,  Mercy,  (Mrs.  Amos  Evans)  Philena, 
Charlotte.  'Mrs.  Nathan  Newell)  Asa 
and  Jonathan. 

Oliver  Peabody  married  Susy  Messer 
and  lived  with. his  father.  His  childron 
were  John,  Loami.  Nancy,  (Mrs.  Noah 
Gould)  Eliza,  Betsy,  Sally,  who  married 
Peter- Runnels  and  lived  and  died  in  the 
house  now  owned  by  Sylvester  Hubbard, 
and  Samuel,  who  married  Lovisa  Clem- 
ens for  his  first  wife,  by  whom  he  had 
several  children.  Only  one  lived  to  grow 
up,  Lovisa  Ann. 

Jonathan  Peabody,  Jr.,  had  three 
wives.  His  first  wife,  and  the  Mother  of 
his  children,  was  Eli/a  Coffin  of  Gilead. 
Three  of  his  children,  Warren,  Augustus 
and  Eliza,  married  respectively,  Mary. 
Lydia  and  Charles  Tenney.  Eveline 
married  Madison  Gilchrist;  Elbridge, 
Angie  Perham ;  Oravel,  Maria  Wight, 
and  they  all  settled  in  Londonderry. 
Augustus  died  in  18G5.  Oravel  lost  two 
children  about  the  same  time,  and  his 
wife  never  recovered  from  this  affliction. 
She  died  soon  after,  and  her  infant  boy 
was  adopted  and  brought  back  to  Bethel 
by  her  sister,  Mrs.  Ed  Holt.  Josh  Bil- 
lings says  of  his  ancesters.  "None  of 
them  have  ever  been  huug,  as  far  back 
as  I've  traced  them."  We  can  sa}r  the 
same  of  the  Peabody 's,  and  add  none  of 


them  ever  deserved  hanging,  either. 
With  few  exceptions,  they  have  all  been 
farmers  and  farmers'  wives,  and  as  a 
family  are  honest,  industrious  and  fru- 
gal. 

JONATHAN  LARV, 
a  son  of  Joseph  Lary,  Jr.,  married  Susan 
Burbank.  a  sister  of  Barker  Burbank, 
and  cleared  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Daniel  Evans.  They  had  five  children. 
Rachel  and  Elmira,  twins,  Seliua,  Vol- 
taire and  Churchill. 

DEARBORN  LARV 
was  a  son  of  Capt.  Joseph  Lary  of  Gilead. 
He  married  Polly  Chandler,  a  sister  of 
John  Chandler,  and  had  a  large  family 
of  children.  Frank  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  with  his  family.  Elan  mar- 
ried and  settled  in  Gorham.  and  his 
mother  acd  two  sisters.  Hannah  and 
Deborah,  reside  with  him. 

NATHANIEL  PORTER 

lived  just  below  the  stock  (arm.  and  had 
a  family  of  seven  girls  and  one  boy. 
From  the  little  we  have  been  able  to* 
learn  he  seems  to  have  been  a  quiet, 
easy-tempered  min,  fond  of  fun  and 
practical  jokes.  He  was  the  first  black- 
smith in  town.  The  story  of  his  shoe- 
ing the  old  buck  so  he  might  chase  the 
hoys  on  the  ice.  is  familiar  to  many. 


26 

Col.  Head  was  au  uncle  to  Gov.  Head. 
Two  sons,  Merrill  and  Bostie,  settled 
here.  Elsie  married  Hazen  Evans.  We 
have  space  only  to  mention  the  names  of 
Jeremiah  Gould  and  his  son  Noah.  Jona- 
than Bullard  and  his  son  Dr.  Bazeleel, 
John  Chandler,  Sam  and  Edwin  Thomp- 
son, and  William  Newell  and  his  descend- 
ants. 

In  later  times  Harvey  Phiibrook  was  a 
prominent  and  popular  man.  He  fur- 
nished a  good  illustration  of  the  advan- 
tages of  natural  gifts  over  a  school 
education  wichout  those.  He  filled  every 
town  office  from  highway  surveyor  to 
representative,  did  a  large  and  lucrative 
business  in  buying  and  selling  cattle, 
and  acquired  a  handsome  property.  He 
died  in  the  prime  of  life,  regretted  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

Dr.  Oliver  Howe  was  a  student  of  Dr. 
John  Grover.  and  came  here  when  quite 
a  young  man,  He  married  Esther  Bur- 
bank,  built  the  house  now  known  as  the 
Winthrop  House,  and  is  the  only  physi- 
cian who  ever  lived  in  Shelburne  for  any 
length  of  time.  Hiram  Cummings  own- 
ed the  upper  half  of  the  Great  Island, 
and  the  farm  opposite.  He  was  a  suc- 
cessful book  farmer,  as  experimenters  are 
derisively  called.  He  sold  out  to  John 
Wilson,  and  moved  to  Paris,  Me.,  about 


two  years  ago. 

Of  the  old  names,  Evans  is  still  borne 
by  twenty  individuals,  Hubbard  by 
seventeen.  Green  by  thirteen,  and  the 
descendants  of  those  three  famlies  com- 
prise more  than  one  third  of  our  present 
population. 

CHAPTER  III. 

INDUSTRIES. 

For  some  years  people  could  only  at- 
tend to  clearing  the  land  and  raising  food 
for  their  growing  families.  The  largest 
and  straightest  trees  were  reserved  for 
the  frames  of  new  houses  ;  shingles  rived 
fiom  the  clearest  pir.e;  baskets,  chair 
bottoms,  cattle  bows,  etc  ,  made  from 
brown  ash  butts,  and  all  the  rest  were 
piled  and  burned  on  the  spot.  Thousands 
of  timber  and  cords  of  wood  were  thus 
consigned  to  the  flames  as  of  no  practical 
value.  Corn,  potatoes,  wheat  and  rye 
grew  abundantly  on  the  neAv  soil,  enrich- 
ed by  the  fallen  leaves  of  111:1113'  centuries. 
Plenty  of  sugar  could  be  had  for  the 
making,  and  moose,  deer  and  the  deli- 
cious brook  trout  were  free  to  all,  re- 
gardless of  the  game  officer. 

Next  to  the  actual  necessity  of  some- 
thing to  eat,  comes  something  to  wear, 
and  on  every  clearing  could  be  seen  a 
little  patch  of  blue  blossomed  flax.  This 


28 

was  pulled,  broken,  conned,  carded, 
spun  and  woven,  entirely  by  hand,  and 
made  into  tow  pants  and  tow  and  linen 
shirrs  for  men's  summer  wear,  into  serv- 
iceable checked  dresses  and  aprons, 
and  the  nicest  of  bed  and  table  linen.  A 
day's  work  was  spinning  two  double 
skeins  of  linen,  carding  and  spinning 
four  double  skeins  of  tow.  or  weavinjf 
six  yards,  and  for  a  week's  work  a  girl 
received  fifty  cents.  Mrs,  James  Austin 
has  had  a  hundred  yards  out  bleaching 
at  once. 

Wool  was  worked  up  about  the  same 
way,  and  all  through  the  fall  and  winter 
the  irritating  scratch,  scratch,  of  the 
cards,  the  hoarse  hum  ot  the  big  wheel, 
the  flutter  ol  the  flies  on  the  little  wheel, 
and  the  rattling  of  the  loom  machinery, 
made  cheerful  music  in  the  dismal  log 
houses.  Much  more  enlivening  to  some 
minds  than  the  heavy,  resonant  wailing 
of  the  modern  organ. 

Piles  of  fleecy  blankets  and  stockings 
were  packed  away  against  the  marriage 
of  the  girls.  Pressed  quilts  were  part  of 
the  outfit,  lasting  for  years,  often  to  the 
third  generation. 

Mrs.  Hep/ibeth  Peabody  had  one  over 
fifty  years  old.  It  was  originally  a 
bright  green  lined  with  straw  color,  nnd 
quilted  with  blue  in  inch  squares.  Mrs. 


29 

Aaron  Peabody  had  a  blue  one  quilted  in 
little  far.s.  Mrs.  George  Green  had  sev- 
eral. One  was  quilted  in  feather  work 
with  a  border  of  sun-flower  leaves,  and 
then  cross  quilted  in  straight  lines.  Mrs. 
Ezikiel  Evans  was  usually  called  upon 
to  mark  out  the  patterns,  and  the  best 
quilter  was  the  belle  of  the  company. 

Overcoats  were  just  a  iritte  less  hide- 
ous than  the  ulster.  For  while  the  ulster 
comes  only  in  somber  gray,  tne  old-fash- 
ioned overcoat  was  bright  as  a  flower- 
garden.  Ben  Bean  h?d  one  made  of 
red,  green  and  brown  plaid,  a  gorgeous 
affair,  even  for  those  days.  Ladies' 
cloaks  were  made  of  similar  plaid ;  about 
four  breadths  plaited  on  a  deep  yoke. 
Put  one  of  these  cloak*  and  a  pumpkin 
hood  on  to  the  dearest  girl  in  the  world, 
and  you  couldn't  tell  her  from  her  grand- 
mother. To  keep  the  snow  from  getting 
into  the  low  shoes,  gaily  striped  socks 
were  worn,  and  every  child  could  knit 
double  mittens  in  herring-bone  or  fox 
and  geese  pattern.  Peggy  Davis  could 
knit  the  alphabet,  and  in  a  pair  of  mittens 
she  once  knit  for  Barker  Burbank  she  in- 
scribed a  verse.  Others  took  pride  in 
knitting  remarkably  fast.  Many  could 
knit  a  pair  of  double  mittens  in  a  day; 
but  the  best  job  in  that  line  was  done  by 
Nancy  Peabody.  Her  brother  Allan 


30 

came  out  ot  the  woods  and  wanted  a 
pair  of  mittens  as  he  had  lost  his.  There 
was  no  yarn  in  the  house,  nor  rolls,  but 
plenty  of  wool.  Miss  Peabody  was 
equal  to  the  emergency.  She  carded, 
spun,  scoured  out  and  knit  a  pair  of 
double  mittens,  (white)  and  had  them 
ready  to  wear  into  the  woods  the  next 
morning. 

Money  may  he  the  root  of  all  evil,  but 
like  poor  rum,  many  people  want  it  bad 
enough  to  run  all  risks.  No  sooner  had 
the  new  settlers  begun  to  be  comfortable 
than  they  cast  about  them  for  ways  and 
means  to  make  money.  The  nearest 
market  was  Portland,  eighty-sis  miles 
away.  Hay,  grain  and  potatoes  were 
too  bulky  to  pay  transportation;  but 
Yankee  ingenuity  soon  overcame  that 
difficulty.  The  hay  and  grain  was  trans- 
formed into  butter,  cheese,  pork  or  beef. 
Wood  was  condensed  into  potash,  and  in 
that  state  was  easily  carried  away.  The 
process  of  making  potash  is  quite  com- 
plicated and  interesting.  The  wood  was 
cut  eight  or  ten  fret  long,  piled,  and 
burned  to  ashes.  Leeches  capable  ot 
holding  ten  or  fifteen  bushels  weie 
placed  over  a  trough  made  from  a  large 
tree,  and  the  lye  boiled  down  to  a  black^ 
sticky  substance  called  salts.  Some- 
times it  was  sold  in  this  state  at  85.00  a 


hundred,  but  where  business  of  any 
amount  was  done,  it  was  further  reduced 
to  potash.  Then  it  was  dissolved,  boiled 
down  again  and  baked  in  a  long  brick 
oven  till  changed  to  a  white  powder, 
called  pearlash,  which  was  used  in  bread. 
Mrs.  Enoch  Hubbard  informs  us  that  she 
got  her  first  print  dress  by  bringing 
ashes  off  the  hill  and  selling  them  for 
nine  pence  a  bushel. 

With  a  more  Ijberal  supply  of  mon  jy 
came  the  chance  for  some  enterprising 
fellow  to  set  up  a  store.  Thomas  Green, 
Jr.,  was  the  first  merchant,  and  had  a 
potash  manufactory  in  connection  with 
his  store  on  the  Jewett  farm.  Years 
after,  George  Green  and  Robert  Ingalls 
opened  a  store,  first  in  partnership,  then 
separately.  The  Bisbee  brothers  and 
William  Hebbard  eacli  tried  trading,  but 
were  uncuccessful. 

Now-a-days  a  man  would  hardly  ac- 
cept a  bushel  of  corn  as  a  gift  if  he  had 
to  carry  it  to  a  Fryeburg  grist-mill  on  his 
back  ;  yet.  seventy-five  years  ago,  every 
necessary  of  life  was  carried  in  that  way 
or  hauled  on  the  light,  flexible  hand 
sleigh.  The  first  grist-mill  was  put  up 
by  the  Austins  on  Mill  brook.  William 
Newell,  Sr.,  worked  there  after  he  sold 
out  to  Mr.  Gates.  Afterward  saws  were 
put  in,  and  Stephen  1'eabody  sawed  the 


32 

lumber  for  hts  house  on  shares.  Clear* 
pine  boards,  t\venty-four  inches  wide, 
only  cost  him  six  dollars  u  thousand. 
Still  later  the  Xevvell  brothers  put  in 
machinery  for  sawing  shingles  and  spool 
wood.  Tho  mill  was  washed  away  in 
the  freshet  of  1878.  and  has  not  been  re- 
built. Another  grist-mill  stood  on 
Scales'  creek,  now  called  State-line 
brook.  When  William  Newell,  Jr., 
lived  at  Berlin,  he  used  to  carry  a  bushel 
of  corn  to  this  mill,  stop  and  do  a  day's 
work  for  Barker  Burbank.  and  carry  his 
meal  home  at  night.  This  was  before 
the  ten  hour  system  of  labor.  On  Clem- 
ens' brook  were  two  saw  mills;  one  own- 
ed by  Luwson  Evans  and  one  by  Jeffer- 
son Hubbard,  The  Wheelers  owned  one 
on  Ingalls  brook,  and  Enoch  Hubbard 
one  on  Lead  Mine  brook.  All  of  these 
mills  were  local  conveniences,  not  mon- 
ey-making enterprises. 

The  earliest  carpenters  were  Mr.  Pea- 
body  and  his  son  Oliver.  C.  J.  Lary's 
old  barn  was  framed  by  them,  and  was 
the  second  framed  barn  in  town.  Of 
shoemakers  we  have  Thomas  Flubbard, 
Moses  Harlowe,  Richard  Bos  well  and 
John  Burbank.  Col.  Porter  was  the 
first  blacksmith,  followed  by  John  Chan- 
dler, Sumner  Chipman,  James  Hall  aim 
Isaiah  opiller.  Joseph  Conner  made 


cart  wheels.  He  was  working  for  Har- 
vey Philbrook  one  clay,  and  the  conver- 
sation turned  on  the  wholesale  destruc- 
tion of  pine  timber.  With  considerable 
irritation  the  old  man  exclaimed:  "In  a 
few  years  there  won't  be  a  pine  tree  to 
lay  your  jaws  to!'' 

Some  men  made  a  Jiving  by  making 
sap-buckets,  ox-yokes  or  sleds.  Others 
shaved  shingles.  It  looks  to  be  slow 
work,  but  Aaron  Peabody  could  turn  off 
a  thousand  a  day,  and  a  building  once 
covered  could  be  warranted  to  last  a  life- 
time. One  of  JR.  P.  Peabody's  barns 
was  covered  with  pine  shingles,  shaved 
by  his  grandfather  more  than  fifty  years 
ago,  and  last  fall  the  overlapped  end  was 
found  perfectly  sound.  Picking  up  a 
handful  for  kindling  we  saw  one  marked 
H.  P.  S.  in  large,  handsome  capitals. 
Fifty  years  distant  in. the  past,  yet  how 
easy  for  the  imagination  to  picture  the 
clearing,  a  tiny  island  in  the  forest  sea, 
the  rough  log  house,  the  pile  of  spicy 
pine  logs,  and  the  young  fellow  in  home- 
spun clothes,  idly  cutting  letters  in  the 
smooth  white  surface;  of  a  new  shingle. 
Were  they  his  own  initials,  or  did  they 
stand  for  a  rosy  face,  lit  up  by  sweet, 
shy  eyes,  smoothly  braided  hair  and  lit- 
tle brown  hands  hardened  by  incessant 
spinning  and  weaving.  We  were  fast 


losing  ourselves  in  a  possible  ro- 
mance, when  our  matter-of-fact  com- 
panion suggested  that  they  might  have 
been  made  by  Henry  Smith,  when  as 
boys  they  played  together  on  the  scaf- 
fold. Twenty-five  years  ago  Judge 
Ingalls  had  a  brick-yard  near  the  pres- 
ent residence  of  I.  \V.  Spiller,  employ- 
ing four  or  five  men.  Part  of  the  bricks 
were  used  to  build  a  coal  kiln  near  the 
bridge  crossing.  Mr.  Jacob  Stevens  did 
a  good  business  burning  coal  and  haul- 
ing it  to  the  Glen.  It  is  a  tedious  and 
rather  disagreeable  way  of  making  mon- 
ey, but  he  was  one  of  those  steady, 
persevering  men  who  do  well  at  any- 
thing they  undertake. 

Logging  has  always  been  a  standard 
industry,  and  the  timber  holds  out  like 
the  widow's  meal  and  oil.  All  the  pine 
went  first.  Nothing  else  was  fit  for 
building  purposes  in  those  days.  Thu 
old-fashtjned  tables,  two  and  a  half  fett 
wide,  made  from  a  single  board  without 
a  Knot  or  blemish,  the  beautiful  ceiling' 
and  floor  in  old  houses  are  enough  to 
make  a  man's  heart  ache  with  envy, 
particularly  if  he  has  just  been  using 
spruce  boards  so  narrow  that  when  laid 
they  seem  to  be  two  thirds  cracks.  A 
Mr.  Judkins.  from  Brunswick,  was  one 
of  the  first  contractors,  paying  from  .75 


to  $1.00  per  thousand,  delivered  on  the 
rivers.  Years  later  Stephen  Peabody 
hauled  from  Success  for  $1.83  per  thou- 
sand. Barker  Burbank  was  agent  for 
the  undivided  lands,  and  did  an  extensive 
business.  It  was  while  in  his  employ 
that  Amos  Wheeler  and  Samuel  Phipps, 
brother  of  the  late  Peter  Phipps.  were, 
burned  to  death  in  a  camp  up  Dead 
River.  The  unfortunate  men  were  so 
nearly  consumed  that  they  could  only 
be  identified  by  the  length  of  the  charred 
bones.  Millions  of  nice  timber  have 
been  taken  from  the  intervales,  and  as 
much  more  from  the  uplands  and  hill- 
sides. Manson  Green  has  quite  a  hand- 
some growth  back  on  the  ridge.  Others 
have  reserved  small  tracts  of  second 
growth,  but  no  pine  trees  of  size  can 
now  be  found.  The  Lead  Mine  Valley 
has  always  been  famous  for  nice  spruce 
and  hemlock.  F;>r  several  successive 
years  all  the  timber  worth  hauling  has 
been  taken  out,  yet  this  winter  eight  oxen, 
six  horses  and  a  dozen  or  so  of  men  are 
still  finishing  up.  Our  present  industries 
outside  of  farming  are  first,  the 

SAW  MILLS. 

Mr.  Jewett's  on  Rattle  river  is  run  by 
steam,  and  employs  fifteen  or  twenty 
men,  cutting,  hauling  and  sawing  spool 


36 

wood,  which  is  loaded  on  the  cars  at  the 
siding,  and  sent  to  a  Massachusetts  mar- 
ket. Mr.  Hubbard's  on  Lead  Mine 
brook  can  only  be  run  during  the  spring 
rise  of  water.  They  can  wo/k  up  a  hun- 
dred and  filty  cords  of  wood.  t 
The  summer  hotels  are  not  only  a  i 
source  of  profit  to  their  owners,  but  af-  r 
ford  a  home  market  for  syrups,  chickens,  > 
eggs,  butter  or  berries.  c 

THE  WINTHROP  HOUSE.  £ 

At  the  village  was  formerly  the  Dr. 
Howe  stand.  It  accommodates  thirty- 
five  city  boarders,  and  is  open  to  tran- 
scient  company  beside.  Josh  Billings 
stopped  here  one  season,  and  spoke  a 
good  word  for  Shelburne  through  the 
columns  of  the  Xew  York  Weekly. 
Longft-llow  also  «p-nt  a  day  or  two  here 
an  absent-minded,  dreamy  old  man  he 
seemed  to  those  who  saw  him.  The 
Post  Office  is  in  this  building,  and 
Charles  Hebbard  propriet  »r  of  tlie  house, 
is  also  postmaster. 

THE  ST.  CHARLES 

is  situated  on  high  land,  two  miles  and 
a  half  from  Gorham.  and  commands  an 
extensive  view — that  is,  if  any  view  in 
theA.ndrosc;>ggin  valley  can  be  called 
extensive.  Mr.  Endicott,  a  western  mer- 


37 

chant,  who  has  stopped  here  several 
seasons,  gave  §250  and  the  town  raised 
an  equal  sum  to  expend  on  the  road  from 
Gorh.im  line  to  the  nearest  river  bridge. 
Marked  improvements  were  made  near 
the  b'ook  above  the  school  house  and  at 
Pea  brook.  Now  it  some  generous  soul 
would  urge  the  expediency,  and  aid  to 
cut  oft' the  top  ol  the  Great  Hill  and 
graft  it  on  to  the  bottom,  we  should  em- 
balm hi?  memory  in  our  hearts  and  daily 
p  ay  that  his  path  of  life  might  be  an 
easy  grade. 

THE  PHILBROOK  HOUSE 

is  the  largest  and  handsomest,  though 
iitey  leceive  only  25  guests.  Good  car- 
riages and  horses  and  careful  drivers  are 
nady  to  take  visitors  to  all  places  of  in- 
terest. Sometimes  a  gay  party  preter 
;i  ride  in  the  hay-rack  and  the  sweet, 
shrill  laughter  of  the  girls  accords  with 
tut-  singing  as  the  blended  music  rises 
;iiid  falls  in  the  summer  twilight.  Up 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  across  the 
Great  Bridge  down,  the  south  side,  and 
across  the  wire  bridge  at  Gilead  is  round 
lite,  square. 

THE  LEAD  MINE. 

More  than  sixty  years  ago  Amos   Pea- 
body  discovered  lead  ore  near  the    banks 


38 

ofthe'jreat  brook,  since  called  Lead 
Mine  brook;  but  it  was  not  till  twenty- 
five  years  later  that  New  York  capital- 
ists became  interested  enough  to  investi- 
gate. A  rich  deposite  of  lead  was  found, 
and  the  mine  tirst  opened  in  the  fall  ot 
1846.  Two  shafts  were  sunk  in  the  bed 
ot  the  brook,  and  a  tunnel  projected 
thirty-live  feet  into  the  hillside.  An  en- 
gine pumped  air  into  the  shaft  and  water 
out  of  it.  but  the  ore  was  hauled  up  by 
horses  attached  to  a  whimsey.  Augus- 
tus Newell  used  to  drive  when  the  boys 
thought  it  I'm.-  tnn  to  bit  behind  the 
horses  and  ride  round  the  ring. 

A  large  framed  building  was  erected 
in  the  basement,  of  which  was  the  heavy 
crushing  machinery  and  smelting  works. 
Above  were  pleasant  rooms  for  the -use 
of  Mr.  Luui.  the  superintendent,  Mr. 
Farnham  the  boss,  and  others. 

A  dining  and  cooking  house,  and  sev- 
eral dwelling  houses  made  quite  a  vil- 
lage. Thomas  Culhane,  who  married 
the  oldest  daughter  of  Enoch  Emery, 
began  housekeeping  in  one  of  these  log- 
houses,  and  here  their  little  son  was 
born.  James  Howard  lived  across  the 
brook  a  little  below. 

John  Colby,  the  b^cksmith,  was  an 
inventive  genius,  and  for  years  followed 
that  will-o'-wisp  perpetual  motion.  He 


had  a  wooden  model  that  had  run  twelve 
years,  and  all  his  spare  time  while  at  the 
mine  was  spent  in  the  vain  effort  to 
utilize  his  pet  theories.  He  stuttered 
terribly,  and  was  as  homely  a  man  as 
you'd  meet  in  a  day's  journey.  Bearing 
this  io  mind,  the  point  of  the  following 
incident  will  be  seen.  In  those  days 
Natural  Philosophy  was  not  so  general- 
ly understood  as  now,  and  Mr.  Colby's 
assertion  that  we  see  a  reflecting  image 
instead  of  the  object  itself,  met  with  con- 
temptuous unbelief.  All  his  arguments 
and  explanations  went  for  nothing. 
Everybody  could  see  the  absurdity.  One 
day  Jim  Gordon  stood  in  the  door,  look- 
ing intently  at  .something  outside. 
••Wha — \vha — what  do  you  see?"  inquired 
Colby,  going  toward  him.  Turning  till 
his  eyes  rested  lull  upon  the  philoso- 
pher, 'J  on  Ion  replied  with  a  comical  ex- 
pression of  reluctant  conviction  : 

••I  give  it  up.  1  can't  see  anything  but 
an  image." 

Ed  Merril  and  Enoch  llubbard  built 
the  big  w;iier  wheel  and  did  most  of  the 
carpenter  \\oik  on  the  buildings. 

The  (i re  \\ as  hauled  from  the  shaft  to 
the  wash-house,  as  the  framed  house 
was  called,  crushed,  silted,  washed, 
<ineltecl  ;iinl  the  lead  run  into  liars  about 
i  wo  feet  Ifiig.  No  effort  w:is  made  to 


40 

save  the  silver,  and  sometimes  pieces  of 
slag  could  be  found  as  large  as  a  man's 
fist  that  when  broken  open  looked  like 
pure  silver.  Potter  Smith  hauled  the 
leaden  bars  down  to  Barker  Burbauk's 
with  an  ox  team,  and  from  there  they 
were  transported  to  Portland.  Probably 
the  enterprise  did  not  pay,  for  it  WHS 
abandoned  in  1849.  Mr.  Farnham  and 
his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
seven  children,  stayed  through  the  sum- 
mer at  Mrs.  Stephen  Peabody's.  and 
then  went  back  to  Xew  York  as  they 
came — in  a  covered  carriage  drawn  by  a 
pair  of  buckskin  horses. 

In  1856  a  Mr.  Pinch  came  on.  hired 
some  men  and  partially  pumped  out  one 
shaft.  A  few  blasts  were  put  in,  the  ore 
on  hand  crushed  and  put  in  barrels,  and 
the  mine  was  again  deserted.  The  dam 
rotted,  and  for  many  years  the  Shelburne 
Lead  Mine  was  one  of  the  interesting 
features  of  the  past.  Last  spring  rumors 
were  afloat  that  the  old  mine  was  to  be 
again  worked.  Of  course  the  conserva- 
tive natives  took  no  stock  in  these  re- 
ports. Had  they  not  already  seen  the 
beginning  and  the  end?  But  they  watch- 
ed the  carriages  coming  and  going  over 
the  grass-grown  road,  and  felt  great 
interest  in  the  strangers  who  were  confi- 
dentially pointed  out  as  members  of  a 


41 
new  mining  company. 

E.  M.  Hubbard  and  sons  built  a  dam, 
and  soon  after,  four  or  five  men  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  Johnson  began  to 
empty  the  shaft.  The  stagnant,  milky 
looking  water  was  very  offensive, ..ami 
many  feared  the  foul  gases  would  gener- 
ate fevers,  but  nothing  worse  than  head- 
ache and  nausea  was  felt. 

At  a  depth  of  seventy-five  feet  a  piece 
of  candle  was  found  that  must  have-been 
there  for  twenty-five  years  >or  more.  A 
quantity  of  ore  was  sent  away,  and  ex- 
perts decided  it  was  rich  in  silver  and 
lead. 

In  October,  1880,  Washington  Newell 
contracted  to  put  up  a  shaft-house  and 
boarding  house.  The  lumber  was  haul- 
ed from  Gorham  and  the  buildings  ready 
for  use  in  less  than  four  weeks. 

The  mine  seems  to  be  a  success.  Fif- 
teen or  twenty  men  are  employed  there 
at  present.  Recently  five  hundred 
pounds  <»f  nice  ore  was  taken  out  at 
three  blasts.  Mr.  Holt  is  superintendent, 
and  Mr.  Johnson  is  connected  with  a 
contemplated  mine  at  Gorham. 

Several  years  ago  Dr.  Rovvc,  while  at 
work  on  Mt.  Hayes,  was  attracted  by  a 
glittering  object  on  the  other  side  of  the 
pond.  To  gmtify  his  curiosity  he  went 
over,  and  found  it  to  be  a  lump  of  lead 


42 

projecting  from  a  rock.  Near  by  was  a 
broken  square  indication  that  sor.ie  one 
had  previously  been  there.  Dr.  Rowe 
knocked  oft  a  piece  of  this  lump  and 
melted  it  in  a  spoon,  but  probably  from 
lack  of  interest  he  said  nothing  of  his 
discovery. 

Last  tall  Messrs  .Johnson  and  (Julhxne 
went  out  prospecting  on  Alt,  Hayes,  and 
report  ore  near  tins  surface,  the  vein  run- 
ning towards  i  he  Shelburne  mine.  Ii 
there  should  prove  to  /)e  a  continuous 
line  of  lead  ore  Irom  Shelburne  to  Gor- 
liain.  mining  could  hardly  fail  to  become 
a  permanent  and  profitable  industry. 

THE  STOCK  FARM. 

A  description  of  this  valuable  property 
which  Shelburne  proudly  claims  as  all 
her  own,  we  shall  defer  till  later,  when 
we  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  visiting 
it  ourselves. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

TRAVELLING  FACILITIES. 

Social  intercourse  is  an  imperative 
necessity,  and  where  limited  to  a  few, 
harmony  and  good  will  are  much  more 
likely  to  prevail.  Crusoe  could  not  be 
long  angry  with  his  man  Friday,  and 
neighbors  separated  by  miles  of  gloomy 
forests,  seldom  find  occasion  to  quarrel. 


'""Be  sure."  said  one  lady,  and  her 
assertion  is  repeated  by  others,  "Be 
sure  and  tell  how  much  better  people 
enjoyed  themselves  in  those  days  than 
they  df)  now." 

Is  it  really  so.  we  wonder,  or  are 
everyone's  young  days  their  best  days? 
Jt  can't  be  the  world  is  degenerating,  for 
in  spite  of  many  illustrations  to  the  con- 
trary, we  cling  to  the  belief  that  the  di- 
vine is  unchangeable.  In  the  same  cir- 
cumstance* and  under  the  same  in- 
fluences, -every  human  heart  is  human." 
Our  grandparents  were  less  selfish  be- 
cause more  nearly  equal.  They  were 
more  social  and  neighborly  because 
they  had  no  outside  resources,  and  they 
were  more  helpful  because  more  depend- 
ent. 

Doubly  imprisoned  by  mountain  walls 
and  trai-kless  forests,  the  early  settlers 
seldom  communicated  with  the  outside 
world.  Fryebnrg  was  the  nearest  village, 
and  people  went  there  on  foot,  carrying 
their  supplies  on  their  backs  in  the  sum- 
mer, and  in  the  winter  using  snow-shoes 
and  hand-sleighs,  which  was  much  the 
easier  way,  Mrs.  Oliver  L'eabody  nee. 
Susy  Mecser  rode  over  from  Fryburg  on 
one  of  i  liese  light  sleds,  and  they  were 
always  used  to  bring  in  large  game. 

When  Amos  Peobody  liv-d    al.    (rilead. 


44 

lie  went  out  hunting  with  Daniel  Lary, 
and  they  killed  a  moose  up  towards  Suc- 
cess. The  next  day  it  was  packed  on  to 
a  sled,  hauled  over  the  mountuii.s  t<> 
Milan,  and  then  clowii  the  river,  the 
journey  requiring  three  days  time.  Girls 
were  good  walkers,  and  thought  nothing 
of  going  from  Capt.  Evans' to  Fletcher 
Ingalls1  to  meeting,  or  from  one  end  of 
the  town  to  the  other  to  attend  singing 
schools.  hu.-kings.  dances  or  quilting< 
One  young  girl  talked  over  the  moun- 
tains to  attend  protracted  meeting  at 
Milan.  "They  had  different  pieaching 
then.'' and  it  ought  to  have  heen  if  ir 
cost  so  much  to  hear  it. 

Oxen  were  used  for  farmwork.  a>id  a- 
soon  as  roads  could  be  cut.  the  teamim: 
and  most  of  the  riding  was  done  with 
them,  Horses  were  kept  by  a  few.  and 
long  journeys  were  made  on  horseback. 
When  Stephen  Messer  returned  from  a 
visit  to  Andover  he  brought  in  his  hand 
a  willow  stick  foi  a  whip.  On  reaching 
home  he  drove  that  stick  into  the 
ground  near  his  house,  just  above  Moose 
river,  Gorham,  and  the  magnificent  tree 
that  sprang  from  it  is  the  parent  of  all 
the  English  willows  in  this  vicinity. 
Those  in  front  of  R.  P.  Peahody's  were 
broken  from  the  Clemens  willow,  near 
Moses  Wilson's,  an  1  were  planted  by  his 


45 

Elvira  and  himself  at  least  thirty- 
live  years  ago.  Horses  were  formerly 
supposed  to  be  able  to  carry  all  you 
could  pile  onto  them,  and  it  was  no  un- 
usual thing  for  a  man  to  take  his  wife 
a>id  one  or  1  wo  small  children  up  behind 
him.  Capt.  Daniel  Evans  and  Phila 
Clemens  rode  across  the  river  together 
when  they  went  to  Esq.  Ingalls'  to  be 
married ;  and  twenty  years  later  their 
daughters,  Eliza  and  Hepsy,  rode  to 
Lancaster  to  visit  their  aunt,  Mrs.  Good- 
dale.  Sometimes  accidents  happened, 
as  when  John  Clemeus  started  to  go  to  a 
dance  with  Dolly  Jackson.  Probably 
the  clinging  arms  around  his  waist,  or 
the  bright  face  so  near  his  own,  kind  of 
fl  ust  rated  him,  for  he  lost  his  bearings, 
got  into  a  deep  hole,  and  swashed  poor 
Dolly  around  in  the  water  till  she  was 
wet  to  her  waist. 

Sleighs  were  in  use  long  before  wagons 
were  thought  of.  A  lady  of  seventy- 
seven  says  she  was  out  berrying  when 
the  h'rst  wagon  she  ever  saw  passed  by. 
but  when  she  told  her  folks  of  the  "four- 
wheeled  carriage,"  thejr  only  laughed  at 
her.  never  having  heard  of  such  a  thing. 

The  roads  naturally  run  along  as  near 
the  intervales  as  possible,  and  no  materi- 
al change  has  ever  been  made.  From 
Hanson  Green's  to  Churchill  Lary/s  it 


46 

has  been  moved  from  the  top  of  the  hill 
to  the  base.  From  Andrew  Jewett's  to 
tlip  Gates  place  a  similar  change  has 
been  made.  From  Jotham  Evans'  the 
road  was  on  the  intervale,  but  after  the 
railroad  went  through  the  farms  were 
*cut  up  in  such  narrow  strips  that  Messrs 
Jotham  and  Henry  Evans  built  a  side 
hill  road  at  their  own  expense.  Near 
Moses'  llock  the  road  again  diverged, 
coming  out  by  the  meeting  house. 

Longer  ago  than  the  "oldest  inhabi- 
tant" can  remember,  a  rope  terry  run 
across  from  Man^on  Green's  intervale. 
Alfred  Carlton  kept  a  large  boat  that 
was  sculled  across,  and  later  Enoch  Hub- 
bard  put  in  a  rope  ferry  against  his 
intervale.  The  road  came  up  from  the 
river  just  below  Moses  Wilson's.  An 
English  willow  ;md  a  bed  of  red  roses 
mark  the  site  of  a  house  on  this  road 
once  occupied  by  Benjamin  Clemens. 

After  good  ronds  were  built  and  the 
teaming  from  the  upper  part  of  the  conn- 
try  passed  this  w;iy.  Shelburne  became 
a.  lively  place.  Three  taverns  founQ 
plenty  of  custom  beside  occasional  com- 
pany at  Barker  liurbank's  and  Capt. 
Evans'. 

John  Bin-bank's  tnvern  stand  stood 
just  back  of  Jotham  Evans'  stable.  A 
long,  low,  unpaintcd  house,  the  sign 


47 

hung  on  a  post  at  the  west,  end.  Like  all 
public  places  at  lhat  time,  an  open  bar 
was  kept  where  liquor  sold  for  three 
cents  a  glass. 

John  Chandlers,  near  Moses  Rock, 
was  two  story,  painted  red  with  white 
trimmings.  While  at  work  here  Jeffer- 
son Hubbaid  received  the  injury  that 
crippled  him  for  life,  cutting  his  kne<- 
with  a  shave  so  badly  as  to  cause  a  stiff 
jo'n  t. 

George  Green's,  at  the  village,  was  a 
st-ige  station  and  Post  Office,  find  the 
best  tavern  between  Lancaster  and  Port- 
land. A  huge  gilt  bah  hung  out  froin 
the  ridge-pole,  and  on  it  in  black  letters 
was  "George  Green,  1817.''  Jonas  Wells 
and  Jefferson  Hubbaid  each  served  as 
hostler?  and  a  hard  berth  it  was.  Often 
they  had  to  be  up  every  hour  in  the 
night. 

Horr  Latham  and  others  drove  the 
shige  to  Lancaster  twice  a  week.  In  the 
full  of  1845  JJandall  Pinkham  made  his 
first  trip  in  the  employ  of  IJaiker  liur. 
bank.  lie  drove  two  horses,  one  for- 
ward of  ihe  other,  on  a  single  wagon, 
and  his  only  passenger,  from  Lancaster 
was  Lovita  Ann  Peabody. 

The  August  freshet  in  1826,  is  remem- 
bered as  a  terrible,  flood,  but  probably 
ih>Te  has  been  nine  I.1  larger  rainfalls 


48 

since.  The  banks  of  the  river  and  brooks 
have  worn  away  so  much  that  now  they 
hold  a  much  larger  volume  of  water. 
Peabody  brook  was  a  small,  narrow 
stream,  that  one  might  step  across,  but 
according  to  eye  witnesses  a  wall  ot 
water,  rocks  and  trees  came  suddenly 
rushing  down,  carrying  all  before  it.  A 
point  of  land  on  which  was  a  rock  maple 
eight  or  ten  inches  through,  was  cut  off, 
and  the  little  bridge  swept  away  like  a 
straw.  The  water  rose  to  the  doorstep 
of  Mrs.  Gates  house  near  by,  and  a  large 
rock  dropped  into  a  potash  kettle  stand- 
ing on  the  bank,  showing  the  depth  and 
force  of  the  current.  A  little  spot  of 
and,  planted  \vitli  com,  was  all  that 
could  be  seen  of  the  Great  Island.  Pota- 
toes were  washed  out,  uncut  grain  laid 
flat  and  soaked  in  mud,  and  pumpkins 
torn  from  the  vines  went  bobbing  tip  and 
down  in  the  water. 

Joseph  Lary  and  William  Newell  lost 
their  entire  crop  of  wheat  from  the 
Gates'  intervales.  As  the  water  rose 
higher  and  higher  the  stocks  were  lifted 
up,  and  away  tliey  sailed  down  river. 

As  great  a  rise  of  water  occurred  dur- 
ing the  ice  freshet  of  December,  1838. 
Hugh  cakes  of  ice  floated  out  over  the 
fields,  and  before  tlie  w  itc.r  had  time  to 
subside  it  cleared  off  cold,  and  the  whole 


49 
valley  was  one  sheet  of  ice 

In  the  spring  of  1851  Enoch  Hubbar.l 
built  a  bridge  across  the  river  from  riie 
Great  Hock?,  but  owing  to  some  defect 
or  miscalculation  it  did  not  stand. 
Xothing  daunted  by  his  failure,  the  next 
spring  Mr.  Hubbard  built  again,  and 
petitioned  the  selectmen  for  a  road.  It 
was  refused,  not  from  any  particular 
fau.t  in  the  bridge,  but  because  many 
wanted  it  furthpr  down  the  river  at 
Gates'  or  Green's.  But  people  found  if 
much  more  convenient  than  the  ferry, 
and  at  last  the  County  Commissioners 
came  down  and  laid  out  the  dugway.  It 
is  said  one  of  the  selectmen,  hoping  to 
find  a  legal  quibble  in  the  proceedings, 
inquired  : 

"Did  you  lay  out  the  road  to  and  from 
the  bridge?" 

••We  laid  out  the  road  to  and  from  the 
bridge  and  right  across  it."  Was  the 
crushing  reply. 

The  natives  called  it   the    Great  liiver 
bridge,  but  it    was    re-christened    Lead' 
Mine  bridge  by  city  visitors,  it    being    a 
fashionable  resort  for  artists  and    roman- 
tic young  couples. 

Ic  did  good  service  for  fifteen  yeais, 
and  then  one  night  quietly  dropped 
down.  The  next  one  was  built  by  the 
town ;  Merrill  Head,  Caleb  Gates  and 


50 

Jotliam  Evans  building  committee  An 
abutment;  of  stone  was  put  in  by  Moses 
Mason  in  place  of  the  old  log  one,  and  a 
bridge,  built  under  the  direction  of  Na- 
hurn  Mason.  This  was  blown  down  in 
November.  1870.  and  rebuilt  the  follow, 
ing  winter  by  Enoch  Ilubbard  and  John 
Newell.  Much  discussion  and  opposi- 
tion has  been  raised  on  the  subject  of  a 
bridge.  Some  are  in  favor  of  a  road 
through  to  Gorh;im  on  the  north  side. 
Others  want  the  bridge  at  Green's  ferry, 
where  the  river  is  wider,  the  banks  lower 
and  the  intervales  flooded  at  everj'  rise 
of  water.  So  tWr  coimnonsense.  ha«  pre- 
vailed over  prejudice  and  self-interest. 
and  a  good  bridge  stands  on  the  only 
good  site  in  town. 

The  building  ot  the  Grand  Trunk  Rail- 
road  through  Slielburntj  beg.in  i  i  1851. 
Most  of  the  workmen  were  IrUliin.'ii  who 
camped  along  by  the  way  with  their 
wives  and  children.  Th-yonly  req-iired 
limited  quarters.  Mr.  Kebbard's  wood- 
shed affording  ample  accommodation  for 
three  families.  The  ho-ises,  or  hovels, 
rather,  which  they  made  for  themselves 
were  simply  four  posts  set  in  th"  ground 
boarded  over  and  banked  M,  ott-n  o  th ; 
eaves,  with  earth.  A  Inive!  stuck  inon'i 
side  allowed  some  of  t!i'j,  efHivia  to 
escape.  Ther  •  were  two  cl  issi-s  or  clans 


51 

of  these  workmen,  Corkrnen  and  Far- 
downs;  anil  a  fight  always  signalized 
their  meetings. 

Porter's  Ledge  was  so  called  from  the 
contractor  who  cut  the  road  tnrough  it. 
In  July.  1852,  an  engine,  the  Jennie  Lind. 
came  up  is  far  as  Potter  Smith's,  now 
John  Wilson's.  Such  a  sight  as  it  was 
lor  old  and  young !  Even  the  few  who 
lu.d  seen  an  engine  before  had  never 
heard  the  whistle.  "O,  how  funny  it 
did  sound!''  says  one. 

Much  of  the  wonder  was  due  to  the 
lack  of  newspapers.  Very  little  was 
known  of  the  outside  world.  The 
electric  light  and  various  kinds  of  ma- 
chinery were  as  wonderful  inventions, 
but  we.  heard  of  them  at  every  stage  of 
their  progress,  and  when  finally  perfect- 
ed the  wonder  had  fled.  It  was  only 
what  we  had  long  expected. 

Jefferson  Hubbard  was  appointed 
station  agent,  a  position  he  held  till  his 
death  in  1877.  About  two  years  ago  a 
siding  was  put  in  at  the  bridge  crossing, 
and  thousands  of  cords  of  wood  and  bark 
have  been  sent  to  market  from  there. 
Upon  tiie  advent  of  the  railroad  Shel- 
burne's  prosperity  began  to  wano.  In 
thirty  years  her  population  has  decreas- 
ed one  half.  Yet  Shelburne  is  not  a  bad 
plac'i  in  which  to  make  a  home.  Most 


52 

of  the  farms  are  capable  ot  a  high  state 
of  fertility,  work  is  plenty  at  fair  price;, 
and  Gorliam  affords  a  good  market  and 
plenty  ot  entertainments  and  school 
privileges  to  those  who  wish  to  avail 
themselves  jf  them, 

CHAPTER  V, 

CHURCHES  AND  SCHOOLS, 

Solitude  and  danger  conduce  to  a  de- 
votioual  frame  ot  mind.  Cut  off  from 
human  aid,  we  instinctively  turn  to  the 
Divine.  Alouo  with  tlie  vastness  of 
Nature  ihe  cnaracter  acquires  a  depth 
and  earnestness  i'i  harmony  witn  tne 
gloom  ot  the  Ibiests  and  ihe  rugged 
grandeur  ot  tlie  mountains.  Natural 
phenomena,  tliat  modern  science  lias  re- 
duced to  meie  curiosities,  were  formerly 
regarded  as  I  >iernn::ers  of  dire  calami- 
ties; war,  pestilence,  and  even  the  de- 
struction of  tne  world. 

But  few  taini.ies  averl  here  during  the 
dark  day  May  lv)  h,  1781),  but  douOtless 
tiiose  t'evv  sintered  moie  ment  il  Hguny 
than  would  oe  poo^ioie  to  us  of  to-day. 
A  brilliant  display  ot  .lortnern  lights  has 
twice  been  seen  ;  unco  before  tile  war  ot 
1812  two  lines  exten  l>-d  across  the  sky, 
and  flashes  of  ligi-t  p. i.-sed  from  one  to 
the  otlier.  Finally  iii.-  western  line  ab- 


sorbed  the  other,  and  they  fide  1  out. 
Of  course  after  the  war  every'  oily  knew 
the  we*tern  line  meant  the  victorious 
American  army. 

In  the  year  1834  or  1835.  \vh:it  is 
known  as  the  red  northern  lights  were 
seen.  In  the  north-east  lay  a  heavy  red 
cloud,  something  like  a  thunder  pillar. 
In  the  wierd  light  the  snow  looked  as 
though  stained  with  hlood.  The  Bible 
was  I  he  only  hook  of  reference,  and  the 
timid  aud  irreligious  remembered  with  a 
thrill  of  hoiror  that  "the  rivers  shall  be 
turned  into  blood  before  that  great  and 
terrible  day."  Pious  men.  fearing  they 
knew  not  what,  gathered  their  families 
and  their  neighbors  around  them  and 
prayed  for  "the  peace  that  passeth 
understanding." 

Many  of  Shelbnrne's  first  settlers  were 
pious  men  and  women,  and  the  Sabbath 
;md  family  worship  wa?  stiictly  observed 
in  their  new  homes,  but  the  first  public 
religious  gei vices  were  conducted  by 
Fletcher  Ingalls.  Every  Sunday  for 
years  "1111016  Fletcher's"  house  was  well 
filled,  many  walking  four  or  five  miles. 
Young  girls  went  barefooted  or  wore 
their  every  day  shoes  and  stockings  till 
within  sight  of  the  house,  when  they 
stopped  under  a  big  tree  and  put  on 
their  best  morocco  slippers  and  white 


54 
stockings. 

The  seats  were  benches,  kept  carefully 
clean,  not  quite  so  comfortable  as  the 
cushioned  pews  in  the  chapel,  but  better 
tilled,  and  we  think  the  long,  dry  ser- 
mons Mr.  Ingalls  used  to  read  were 
received  without  cavil.  People  believed 
as  they  were  taught  instead  of  wander- 
ing off  into  speculation  by  themselves. 
The  reading  over,  exhortations  were 
made  by  Samuel  Wheeler,  Edward  Green 
and  others.  The  singers  were  Nathaniel 
Porter,  Jonathan  Lary  and  his  sisters, 
Betsy.  Hannah  and  Mercy,  and  in  fact 
most  of  the  worshipers  took  part  in  this 
exercise.  S  nnetiiues  a  stray  shepherd 
chanced  along  and  fed  this  flock.  Me*sr?. 
Pettingill,  Jordan,  Hazeltine.  Triekey. 
Austin  Wheeler  and  Elder  Hutchiuson 
were  Free-will  Baptists.  Sewall.  Hidden. 
Richardson  and  Burt  Congregationali--ts. 
Scores  of  interesting  and  curious  inci- 
dents are  related  of  these  primitive 
Christian?,  who  at  least  possessed  tin; 
virtue  ot  sincerity.  One  summer  the 
drouth  was  very  sev.-re,  threatining  to 
destroy  the  crops.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  regular  Sunday  services  Deacon 
Green  requested  all  those  who  were  in- 
terested ami  had  faitli  in  prayer  to  meet 
at  his  house  to  pray  for  lain.  Th^ir 
petitions  ptoved  not  only  fervent  bnt 


55 

effaeious.  for  before  they  wen-  finished  a 
terrible  thunder  shower  aro-e  ar.d  the 
deacon's  shed  was  blown  clear  across  the 
road.  The  first  church  of  which  we  find 
any  record  was  organized  1818  a<  the 
Church  of  Christ,  with  seventeen  num- 
bers : 

Edward  Green.        Lydia  Ordway, 
Samuel  Wheeler,     Anna  Win  eier. 
Reuben  Hobart,       Anna  Hobart. 
Amos  P^abody,        Mehitable  Ordway, 
Laskev  Jackson.       Alepha  Hob  ire, 
Cornelius  Bearce,      Lydia  Beanre. 
John  Wilson,  Lucy  Wheeler. 

The  signatures  are  written  on  stiff,  mi- 
ni IM!  paper,  yellow  with  ;ig->.  and  would 
f'>ri'i  an  interesting  study  to  tho^e  who 
pretend  to  read  character  by  the  hand- 
writing. The  best  specimen  is  tl.e  name 
of  Lucy  Wheeler,  very  fine  and  distinct, 
and  written  with  good  black  ink.  while 
In  others  the  ink  1ook#  as  though  it  hid 
been  frozen. 

In  1832  the  meeting  h>nse  was  built; 
RoDert  Ingall?,  Edward  Green.  George 
Green  and  Barker  Burbank  being  build- 
ing committee.  It  was  dedicated  a>  a 
Five  Church.  Jotham  Sewall  preached 
the  dedicatory  sermon,  and  four  or  live 
other  clergymen,  Free-will  Bapti&t  and 
Congregational,  were  present.  Al!  the 
best  singers  in  town  had  been  well  train- 


56 

ed  by  the  choirister,  John  Kimball,  and 
the  long,  difficult  Easter  Anthem  from 
the  Ancient. Lyre  was  skillfully  rendered. 

A  schedule  of  time  for  the  year  1838 
gives  the  Congregationalism  twenty-four 
Sundays,  the  Free-will  Baptists  twenty- 
five.  Universalists  one,  and  Methodist!* 
two.  Whenever  the  pulpit  was  unoccu- 
pied Deacon  Life  Burbank  or  Fletcher 
Ingalls  read  a  sermon,  or  Samuel  Whal- 
er and  others  exhorted. 

In  1841  a  new  organization  was  formed, 
called  the  Shelburne  Free-will  Baptist 
Church.  The  covenant  is  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Stephen  Hutchin.'nn,  an«l  arti- 
cle 3d  provides  that  "we,  agree  to  ex-r- 
cise  a  suitable  care  one  of  another  {,•>  pro- 
mote the  growth  of  the  whole  body  in 
Christian  knowledge,  holiness,  and  co  n- 
fort  to  the  end.  that  we  may  all  stand 
complete  in  the  will  of  God."  Article  8, 
k%We  will  frequently  exhort,  and  if  occa- 
sion require,  admonish  one  another  ac- 
cording to  direction*  in  Matt.  IS.  We, 
will  do  this  in  a  spirit  of  meekness  con- 
sidering ourselves  lest  we  also  trans- 
gress, and  as  in  baptism  we  have  b«  en 
buried  with  Christ  an  I  raised  again,  so 
there  rests  0:1  us  a  special  obligation  to 
walk  in  newness  of  life."  Delegate- 
w^re  sent  regularly  to  the  quarterly 
conferences  with  a  ie,>ort  of  the  religions 


57 

condition  of  the  church.  Of  :he  eight 
original  members  only  oi.e  is  still  living. 
Mrs.  Stephen  Hutchinson.  In  1848  the 
membership  had  increased  to  thirty- 
three.  Of  these  more  than  hull'  have 
since  joined  the  Church,  triumphant, 
prominent  among  whicli  are  Stephen 
Hntchinson.  Mr.  &  Mr*.  Stephen  Pea- 
body,  Samuel  Wheeler  and  Jon  is  Green. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  form- 
ed many  ye-irs  :  go.  but  there  was  10 
regular  organization  of  Methodists  till 
Daniel  Barker  was  stationed  here  in  1801 . 
Dnrii  g  the  following  two  years  there 
w.-is  ;,  great  revival.  Night  aft«  r  n'ght 
livi'ly  an  1  interesting  meeting.*  were 
held  at  Mr.  Palmer's.  Mr.  Hebh  ird's  or 
Mr.  Hall's.  It  is  an  "in decided  question 
whether  such  religions  excitements  are 
advisable.  Certainly  a  proponio  .at'1  re- 
action always  follows.  Mr.  SincI  iir  snc- 
c  'died  Mr.  Barker;  but  though  he  came 
over  from  Bartlett  every  other  Sunday. 
braving  the  cold  winds  and  deep  snows, 
the  interest  gradually  abated. 

From  this  time  till  the  reform  move- 
ment, only  occasional  meetings  were 
held.  City  ministers,  Orthodox  or 
Episcopal,  sometimes  preached  h  ilf  a 
dav  during  th<-  summer.  The  old  church 
was  fast  going  to  ruin,  to  say  notlrng  of 
i he  people  themselves.  The  temperance 


58 

wave  struck Shelburne  broadside.  Such 
excitement,  such  rallying  to  the  work, 
such  confessions  of  weakness,  such 
promises  of  future  uprightness!  The 
blacker  the  sin  the  greater  the  reforma- 
tion, and  it  was  awful  to  hear  one  manly 
idol  after  another  shatter  himself  in  the 
presence  of  his  adoring  female  relative  s 
and  friends,  A  good,  moral  young  man, 
who  never  drank  a  glass  of  intoxicating 
liquor  in  his  life,  was  nowhere;  but  the 
most  dissipated  were  greeted  with  deaf- 
ening cheers. 

Lecturers  labored  to  prove  that  alco- 
hol in  all  its  forms  was  a  deadly  poison, 
equal  to  arsenic  or  strychnine,  yet  one 
member  of  the  association  said  Miat  he 
had  probably  drank  a  barrel  for  every 
year  of  his  life!  He  must  have  bet-n 
poison  proof.  Only  one  person  in  all,the 
town,  A.  J.  Bartlett,  ridiculed  the  move- 
ment and  persistently  refused  to  sign  th  : 
pledge. 

'•I'll  give  you  two  years  to  get  to  the 
end  of  your  rope/'  he  said  one  day,  .ificr 
a  hot  argument  witli  an  enthusiastic. 
Ironclad. 

He  did  not  live  to  see  the  fulfillment  of 
his  prophecy,  but  he  gave  them  time 
enough.  One  evening,  some  months  he- 
fore  the  second  aniversary,  the  President 
requested  all  those  present  who  hu.l  not 


59 

sig  ted  the  pledge  to  rise,  and  only  one 
solitary  Frenchman  responded.  p]very- 
body  had  reformed.  The  work  was  done. 
What  sense  in  strutting  for  \vh-'t  we 
already  have?  The  li"form  Club  meet- 
ings  changed  to  prayer  meetii  g«.  Mr. 
W.  W.  Baldwin,  the  Methodist  minister 
st  itioned  at  Gorhain.  came  down  half 
a  ilav  each  Sabbath,  and  an  inteiest  was 
awake  ied  that  increased  during  the  next 
year,  when  Mr.  Chandler  preached.  The 
meeting  house  was  repaired  and  re-dedi- 
cated in  September,  1877.  The  death  of 
Miss  Fannie  Ilubbai'd  the  Ibllo  \vin<f 
Soring  bro!\e  up  the  choir,  and  thongli 
we  have  many  good  singers,  n  •  choir 
lias  since  been  organized. 

Mr.  Williams,  a  Congregational  minis- 
ter, stationed  at  Gilead.  preaches  here 
Sunday  alternoons  ;  an  organ  ha-*  been 
purchased;  a  communion  service  pre- 
sented by  the  sewing  circle,  and  a 
baptismal  bo vvl  by  Mrs.  11,  I.  Bui-hank. 
Nothing  seem*,  to  be  lacking  to  our  reli- 
gions.society  but  the  main  part — a  dis- 
position in  the  minds  ot  the  people  to 
support  it  by  their  presence  in  the  house, 
their  appreciation  of  the  pre.ic.ier's 
efforts,  and  the  cultivation  of  a  cliai  liable 
u  isellish  spirit  among  themselves. 


60 
SCHOOLS. 

We  have  no  means  of  knowing  how  the 
first  generation  obtained  an  education, 
but  it  is  hardly  likely  there  were  regular 
schools  where  the  children  would  be 
obliged  to  go  long  distances  through  the 
woods.  Perhaps  some  went  hack  to 
Massachusetts,  while  others  learned  at 
home.  A  littie  later  we  find  plenty  ot 
well  educated  men  and  women.  In 
Moses  Ingalls'  family  were  three  good" 
teachers,  Frederick,  Nancy  and  Robert. 
Some  sixty-live  years  ago  Robert,  or  as 
he  is  more  commonly  known.  Judge 
Ingalls,  kept  school  near  Moses  Rock. 
Among  his  scholars  was  a  half  grown 
boy.  whose  parents  had  recently  moved 
down  from  Randolph.  In  those  days 
Randolph  was  considered  far  removed 
from  tlie  benefits  ot  civilization,  ami  Mr. 
Ingalls  naturally  concluded  tne  buy 
would  be  behind  others  of  his  age.  "Can 
you  read?"  he  inquired,  taking  up  tin* 
old  Perry's  spelling-book.  "I  can  read 
my  A  B  C's."  replied  the  boy.  bashfully 
hanging  his  head.  Slowly  slipping  bis 
finger  along  he  repeated  the  alphabet, 
correctly.  "Very  well.  Now  can't  you 
say  a-b  ab?''  "I  can  try,"'  was  tlie 
modest  answer.  With  the  same  slow 
precision  that  lesson  was  read,  tl.en  i!u; 


61 

next  and  the  next,  and  not  till  Mr.  In- 
galls  found  out  that  with  one  exception 
Ills  new  pupil  was  the  best  reader  aitd 
speller  in  school,  did  he  see  where  the 
laugh  came  in.  Barker  Burbank  also 
taught  here,  and  was  called  one  of  the 
best  instructors  of  the  times,  often  spend- 
ing a  whole  noon-time  explaining  some 
of  Walsh* 9  problems  to  a  puzzled  scholar. 
To  this  school  came  the  Stowell  boys, 
the  Thompson  boys  and  Ezekiel  Evans' 
girls. 

Back  of  the  Philbrook  house,  close  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  stood  a  school- 
liouse.  where  Hannah  Mason  taught. 
Sometimes  schools  were  kept  at  Capt, 
Evans*  or  Samuel  Emery's.  Susan  Gates, 
Sally  Austin,  Elsie  Head  and  Lydia  Por- 
ter were  teachers  of  fifty  years  ago,  and 
good  teachers  they  were,  to.j.  though 
they  never  heard  of  a  Xormal  school  nor 
a  Teacher's  Institute. 

The  Bean  Hill  school-house,  just  below 
II.  P.  Gates,  was  moved  up  about  half 
way  between  All::n  and  Roswell  Pea- 
body's,  and  here  Merrill  C.  Forist  taught 
school  and  penmanship.  Mrs.  John 
Willis  kept  one  term  in  William  Newell's 
barn  at  the  Dugway  corner.  Isabel 
Gates,  Mrs.  C.  J.  Lary,  Mi's.  M.  L.  Bur- 
bank.  Judge  Burbank  and  Man  sou  Green 
are  a  tew  of  many  experienced  and  popu- 


62 
lur  teacliers. 

The  text  books  formerly  iise.l  were  tlie 
Understanding  and  American  readers, 
Perry's  anJ  Webster's  spelli'>g-books, 
Walsh's  and  Welsh's  arithmetics,  and 
Olney's  geography.  Tlie  geography 
would  be  quite  a  curiosity  to  young  peo- 
ple now.  Michigan,  Indiana  and  Illinois 
were  territories.  Mississippi  Territory 
was  bounded  north  by  Tennesee.  enst  by 
Georgia,  south  by  Florida,  which  be- 
longed to  the  Spanish,  and  west  by  the 
Mississippi  river.  Louisiana  was  divid- 
ed into  two  governments,  State  and 
Territory.  Tin  State  comprised  tlie 
I«land  of  Oile;ins.  tht^  country  ea^t  of  ih.' 
Mississippi  to  tlie  Perdido.  aim  all  west 
of  it  south  of  latitudi-  33°.  The  Territory 
was  bounded  south  by  the  sta:e  of 
Louisiana,  west  by  Mexico,  east  by  Tea- 
nesee.  Keiitueky.  ai.d  Illinois  and  Miss- 
issippi territories,  and  nort'.i  by  unex- 
plored region*.  Supposing  one  of  ihe 
teachers  in  1815  or  '20  ha  1  thus  addr-ss- 
ed  the  class  in  geography:  ••Children, 
those  of  you  who  live  to  be  elderly  men 
and  women  will  see  all  that  blank  space 
on  the  map  of  the  United  States  dotted 
with  towns  and  cities;  an  iron  horse, 
capable  of  drawing  ten  or  a  doz"ii  farri- 
ages  as  large  as  this  school  room,  at  the 
rate  of  a  mile  in  one  minute,  will  cany 


63 

you  fror:)  George  Green's  intervale  to 
the  fartheiest  verge  of  that  unknown 
r<'gi'»n  in  eight  or  ten  days.  Y  m  will 
hand  a  shori:  letter  directed  to  a  frit-mi 
in  Boston  r,o  a  man  at  the  depot,  aiiil  in 
ten  iniiuites  you  will  receive  the  answer. 
You  can  go  to  the  summit  of  ML.  Moiiah 
and  converse  in  your  ordinary  tone* 
with  M  friend  in  Shelburne  Addition. 
That  burning  spring  which  is  now  »•«•- 
ganle'l  as  one  of  the  curiosities  of  Virgi- 
nia will  prove  to  be  the  outlet  of  a  vatt, 
subterranean  lake  ot  oil.  much  superior 
for  illuminating  purposes  to  tallow  can- 
dle? or  pitch  pine  knots,  and  after  this 
oil  has  come  into  general  use  a  new 
lijjhi  will  be  invented  or  discovered 
(which?)  that  will  rival  the  sun  in  brilli- 
ancy.'' 

Wouldn't  the  whole  school  have  stop- 
ped study  to  listen  to  such  outrageous 
fallacies?  Wouldn't  the  parents  have 
b^en  all  by  the  ears  and  the  committee 
l)i  e  i  blamed  to  death  for  hiring  snch  a 
teacher?  Yet  how  far  short  would  the 
prophecy  fall  of  the  reality?  Viewing 
the  I  tit  n  re  by  thejmst,  have  we  the  right 
to  say  anything  is  impossible? 

E>q.  Bui-bank's  sons  and  A.  R.  Evans 
we  believe  are  the  only  Shelburne  boys 
wiio  have  been  through  college,  and  the 
only  natives  now  engaged  in  teaching 


64 

are  the  Misses  Lary  and  Ernest  Hnbbard. 
C.  S.  Cuminiiig-s,  of  Paris,  is  also  a  suc- 
cessful uml  populiir  teacher. 

The  l.-iw  allowing  women  a  voice  in 
school  meeting  is  of  no  practical  value 
in  this  conservative  town,  and  on  general 
principles  we  doubt  its  propriety. 

San  ford  Hnbbard,  Fannie  Philbrook 
and  Edward  (ireen  are  examining  com- 
mittee. Mr.  Hnbbard  is  sail!  to  be  very 
thorough  in  his  examinations,  and  who- 
ever receives  a  certificate  may  be  con- 
sidered amply  qualified  to  teach  all  the 
studies  required. 

The  way  in  which  the  first  generation 
acquired  the  art  of  singing  is  as  doubtful 
as  how  they  learned  the  alphabet.  As 
most  of  the  parents  were  singers  perhaps 
the  children  took  it  up  naturally.  Tiie, 
first  singing  masters  that  those  now 
living  can  remember,  were  Reuben  Ho- 
bart  and  John  Kimbull.  "Mr.  Kimb:ill 
could  sing  more  base  than  any  six  men 
now-a-days."  No  doubt  they  could  all 
make  good  music  from  tlie  pieces  in  the 
Handel  and  Ilalyn  anil  the  Ancient 
Lyre,  but  h^ard  across.,  the  wide  waste 
of  years  perhaps  it  sounds  s\ve/ter  to- 
day than  at  first.  Jefferson  Hnbbard 
taught  in  the  church  some  tiiii  ty-'our  or 
five  years  ago.  and  n?ed  a  book  in  which 
fiirure-5  were  used  to  denote  the  sonn  1 


65 

Horatio  Newell  was  the  la?t  singing 
master  here,  and  taught  iti  the  red  school- 
house  above  the  village. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  we  wish  to 
relate  a  little  incident  of  school  life;  one 
of  those  every  day  happenings  that  bor- 
der so  clo<e!y  on  darksome  tragedies. 
Little  Mary  Smith  went  down  to  school 
one  morning  with  ;.n  elder  sister.  The 
novelty  of  h  •!•  surroundings  soon  wore 
off,  uncl  she  slyly  started  for  home,  a-s 
she  thought.  Elder  Samuel  Wheeler 
met  her  a  short  distance  below  the 
schnol-hou«e.  and  asked  her  name,  whose 
girl  she  was,  and  if  she  would  ride  with 
him.  H»T  baby  answers  lie  could  not 
understand,  but  as  she  positively  de- 
clined to  ride  he  drove  on.  told  the 
teacher.  Betsey  Maun,  and  saw  the 
children  start  after  her.  Mi..  Wheeler 
stopped  at  Aaron  Peahody's.  and  the 
family  were  just  eating  dinner  when  the 
alarm  was  given  th.it  Mary  Smith  was 
lost.  "O!"  exclaimed  the  old  genlle- 
man.  "I'm  to  blame  for  that!  I  ought 
to  have  taken  her  right  up."  Everyone 
joined  in  the  search.  The  hillsides  down 
to  the  brook,  and  the  pine  woods  below 
were  hunted  over,  and  Mrs.  Smith,  half 
distracted  with  fear,  kept,  calling  her 
name,  (or  they  thought  the  child  would 
rccogni/x:  and  ar.swer  lu-r  mother's  voice 


66 

if  within  hearing.  It  seemed  impossible 
that  so  small  a  child  could  have  wander- 
ed farther,  and  retracing  their  steps  they 
drew  off  the  pond,  a:id  searched  sh'» 
mill  and  the  house  which  was  unoccu- 
pied. Anxietj'  was  fast  deepening  t-> 
despair  when  some  one.  suddenly  came 
across  her  in  the  pasture  north  of  tin. 
house,  fast  asleep  on  a  log.  The  j>ndd«-n 
reaction  of  feeling  completely  unnerved 
Mr.  Smith,  and  snatching  up  his  recover- 
ed baby,  he  cried  over  her  like  a  child. 
The  possibility  that  a  few  step?  or  a  lew 
minutes  might  have  consigned  the  little 
one  to  a  fearful  and  lingering  death,  is 
on'High  to  cause  a  shudder  even  now. 
When  Abigail  Leavitt  was  lo.-t  fr.-m 
Esq.  Moses  Ingalls'  ?hn  came.  out.  in 
Bi-tliel  or  Newry.  But  a  quarter  of  ;i 
mile  more  to  the  northward  and  site 
would  have  missed  the  settlements,  and 
been  hopelessly  lost  in  a  vast,  unbroken 
wilderness. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

Whatever  im  crests  and  diverts  the 
mini]  niiiy  be  called  amusement,  ev<jn 
though  considerable  physical  exertion  is 
mingled  with  it.  Before  men  played 
croquet  or  lawn  tennis  they  took  pride, 
in  trials  of  strength  or  courage.  Moses 
I:  galls  was  offered  a  lot  ot  land  to  climb 
the  smooth  incline  on  ilu;  north  side  of 
Me.  Winthrop.  It  is  said  he  ran  up  in 
his  stocking  teet  as  easily  as  a  cat,  and 
thus,  by  a  single  exhibition  of  skill  and 
daring,  gained  a  remembrance  and  a 
monument  that  uuirtyrs  and  heros  might 
envy. 

A  little  to  the  wes-  ot  the  top  of  Moses' 
Hock  (let  no  iconoclast  dare  change  its 
name)  may  be  seen  a  pine  stump.  It 
stands  undor  a  projecting  ledge,  and 
leans  over  a  sheer  descent  of  at  least  a 
hundred  feet.  By  the  aid  of  a  tree  at 
the  foot  of  the  precipice  Thomas  Green, 
Jr..  climbed  up  and  cut  off  the  tree  that 
once  grew  on  it.  We  do  not  learn  how 
he  got  down.  Getting  up  seemed  to  be 
the  main  point,  and  he  evidently  had 
laith  in  the  old  saying  that  his  weight 
\\ould  briny;  him  down. 


68 

Chopping  bee*  were  quite  popular- 
while  people  were  clearing  their  farms, 
an  1  must  have  been  fun,  inasmuch  as 
men  often  went  five  or  six  miles  and  con- 
sidered a  good  dinner  and  what,  rum  they 
could  drink  as  ample  pay  for  a  hard 
day's  work.  Two  sons  of  Atuo?  Peabody 
came  very  near  being  killed  at  one  of 
these  gatherings.  They  wanted  to  go 
ouc  und  see  the  drive.  "Be  sure  and 
hallo  before  you  get  there,''  cautioned 
their  mother.  "O  yes,''  they  promised 
readily,  anl  boy  like,  never  thought,  of 
it  again.  In  their  eagerness  to  reacli  tue 
men  they  got  too  near,  and  were  caught 
by  the  tailing  trees.  A;iron  was  thrown 
down  by  a  big  spruce,  but  the  limbs 
kept  it  from  quite  touching  the  jjroun  I. 
and  the  boy  was  got  out  uni  jured, 
though  "a  hen  could  hardly  have  crawl- 
ed through  where  he  lay."  Enoch  fared 
worse;  as  a  tree  came  down  over  him, 
hishea  I  auJ  shoulders  sh  »t  throng  i  be- 
tween a  limb  and  the  body,  hut  so  elo-e 
was  the  chance  that  a  stub  grazed  his 
head,  cutting  a  gash  four  or  live  inehrs 
long. 

Oscar  Phipps,  a  brother  of  Pet  r 
Phipps.  was  instantly  killed  while  at 
work  for  Barker  Burbank.  Uncle  Fletch- 
er saw  Joe  Connor  come  out  in  gr.-at 
haste,  and  fearing  an  accident  he  caught 


up  his  camphor  bottle,  that  ever  handy 
remedy  of  old  times,  and  hurried  to  the 
clearing;  but  it  was  too  late  for  earthly 
remedies.  The  unfortunate  man's  skull 
had  been  crushed.  Such  casualties, 
however,  were  not  common.  With  or- 
dinary care  the  work  was  not  particular- 
!}'  dangerous. 

Sportsmen  would  now  be  very  glnd  to 
find  a  flock  of  pigeons,  especially  if  there 
was  to  be  a  shooting  match  with  an 
oyster  supper  at  the  end;  but  seventy 
five  years  ago  these  birds  were  so  thick 
that  every  effort  was  made  to  get  rid  of 
them.  Ttiey  were  caught  by  hundreds 
in  nets  or  traps.  The  traps  were  made 
of  small  poles  arranged  like  the  front 
side  of  a  chicken  coop,  an  inch  or  two 
apart,  and  narrow  strips  of  board  were 
nailed  round  the  edges,  making  a  sort  of 
lavgf.  shallow  box.  To  catch  the  birds 
this  frame  was  propped  up  on  one  edge, 
a  rope  tied  to  the  prop  and  carried  hack 
belli nd  a  screen  of  boughs  where  the 
hunter  was  hidden.  A  horizontal  bar  or 
pole  was  put  up  six  or  eight  feet  high 
tor  them  to  light  on,  and  grain  scattered 
undi-r  the  trap.  One  by  one  they  flew 
down  from  the  perch,  always  leaving 
one  as  a  sentinel;  the  rope  was  pulled, 
the  trap  dropped,  and  the  unlucky  birds 
run  their  heads  up  through  the  slats 


70 

only  to  have  them  twisted  off.  They 
made  capital  soups  and  chicken  pies. 
"O  how  nice  and  tender  the  little  things 
would  be!"  we  exclaimed.  "Tender!" 
witn  a  contemptuous  smile  at  our  ignor- 
ance, "they  were  tough  as  tiipe  and  blue 
as  whetstones !" 

One  morning,  as  many  as  fifty  years 
ago,  Amos  Peabody  cahed  to  his  family: 
"Just  couie  and  see  what  a  nock  of 
pigeons!"  A  column  of  these  bird.s 
seemed  to  come  from  back  of  Old  Crag 
und  stretch  across  the  eastern  bky  10 
Moses"  Rock.  For  some  time  neither 
end  could  be  seen,  nor  was  there  a  break 
in  the  line.  It  was  a  grand  exodus. 
Like  the  moose  and  deer  they  fled  be- 
fore the  advance  of  civilization. 

Wrestling  was  often  carried  to  such 
extremes  as  to  become  injurious.  Two 
young  fellows  got  into  a  dispute  one 
summer  evening,  and  one  endeavored  to 
put  the  other  ouc  of  the  shed.  Tht-y 
struggled  for  nearly  two  hours,  and  tne 
younger  and  lighter  of  the  pair,  now 
eighty  years  old,  says  he  never  fairly  got 
over  it ;  yet  he  thinks  it  a  terrible  thin^ 
for  a  boy  to  break  a  liciger  or  black  an 
eye  playing  base  ball.  To  be  the  cham- 
pion wrestler  of  the  town  was  as  much 
honor  as  to  be  the  champion  walker  now. 
A  man  wh  >  came  over  from  Fryeburg 


71 

once;  stumped  any  Shelbtirne  fellow  to 
lay  him  on  his  back.  He  was  pretty 
heavy  and  self-confident,  and  for  some 
time  no  one  cared  to  take  hold  of  him; 
but  the  night  of  Enoch  Emery's  husk- 
ing, when  the  good  liquor  made  them 
smart  and  brave  without  being  top- 
heavy,  a  small,  lean,  wiry  fellow  stepped 
up  and  announced  himself  ready  to  up- 
hold the  honor  of  the  town.  After  a 
short  struggle  the  Fryebnrg  man  lifted 
his  little  opponent,  to  throw  him  over  his 
head;  but  instead,  a  quick,  dexterous 
and  wholly  unexpected  turn  knocked 
him  oft'  his  legs,  and  down  he  went  like  a 
iog.  Alter  a  second  trial  the  stranger 
acknowledged  he  had  met  his  match, 
and  the  hills  echoed  the  triumphant 
cheers. 

A  real  old-fashioned  dance  was  the 
place  for  plenty  of  pleasure.  One  gentle- 
man now  living  could  wear  out  a  pair  of 
thin  boots  during  the  night,  and  keep 
school  all  the  next  day.  At  a  grand  ball 
given  at  John  Chandler's  Mrs.  George 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Green  each  wore  black 
silk  dresses;  the  short,  strait  skirt,  plain 
waist  and  sleeves,  requiring  only  six 
yards  of  material.  Others  wore  calico 
or  stamped  cambric.  A  mulatto  by  the 
name  of  Johnson  played  the  fiddle  till 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


72 

In  1828  a  meraagerie  was  exhibited  at 
Green's.  The-  cages  containing  lions, 
tigers,  leopards,  monkeys  and  on«  with  a 
hyena  (or  kieny,  as  Mr.  Ordvvay  inform- 
ed his  boy)  were  arranged  round  the 
barn  yard,  and  seats  vvere  also  put  in  to 
accommodate  the  visitors.  The  big 
elephant  was  in  the  barn;  the  double 
doors  being  just  high  enough  to  let  him 
through  without  scraping  his  back.  A 
tent  for  the  circus  part  was  on  the  inter- 
vale close  by,  and  an  exhibition  of  wax- 
works in  the  house.  Mrs.  William 
Newell,  Mrs.  James  Austin  ami  Mrs. 
Thomas  Green  attended,  each  with  an 
infant  a  few  weeks  old.  Times  havs 
changed  since  then.  Now-a-days  women 
ignore  their  babies  as  far  as  possible, 
seldom  taking  them  to  public  assemblies 
and  never  to  church. 

One  Fourth  of  July  some  fifty  years 
ago  a  liberty  pole  was  raised  on  ihe  hill 
near  the  meeting  house,  Alter  singing 
and  prayer  a  short  oration  was  delivered 
by  Judge  Ingalls,  and  the  audience  went 
down  to  Green's  tavern  to  dinner. 

Formerly  gins  attended  hufekings  and 
boys  quiltings,  and  alter  the  work  was 
done  they  had  a  dance.  When  farmers 
could  raise  a  hundred  bushels  of  ears  of 
corn  to  the  acre  they  didn't  mind  a  little 
waste,  and  sometimes  the  corn  was 


73 

thrown  round  and  the  fodder  trampled 
on  in  a  way  that  could  not  be  tolerated 
now.  Quillings,  too,  are  out  of  date. 
Xo  more  are  made  of  the  pressed  woolen 
quilts  with  their  intricate  patterns  of 
roses  and  sunflowers.  Even,  the  more 
modern  patchwork  is  now  seldom  used 
for  anything  but  taokecl  puffs. 

Raisings  and  haulings  brought  to- 
gether all  the  people  in  town,  and  were 
as  handy  tor  the  diffusion  of  news  as  a 
local  newspaper.  When  Judge  Ingalls' 
barn  was  raised  the  dinner  was  tastefully- 
arranged  on  a  long  table  out  of  doors, 
and  at  short  distances  apart  for  the  whole 
length  were  handsome  decanters  anil 
glasses.  When  liquor  was  only  ton  cents 
a  quart,  with  no  prejudice  against  its 
use,  a  man  would  have  been  thought 
lacking  in  hospitality  had  he  neglected 
to  provide  a  plenty.  -'Didn't  people 
fivquently  get  intoxicated?''  we  asked. 
••No;  you  wouldn't  see  a  man  drunk 
oftiMie.r  than  now.  The  liquor  was  better 
than  t\\v  pieen  stuff  you  get  now,  and 
didn't  My  into  the  head."  At  Mr.  fn- 
galls'  raising  Erastus  Hubbard  met  with 
quite  a  serious  accident.  He  (ell  head- 
long from  the  plate  on  to  a  pile  of  rocks. 
John  Burbank  and  Dr.  Watson,  who 
were  al<o  on  the  p'at.e,  jumped  down 
a:id  lifted  him  up  before  those  near  him 


74 

could  move,  "He's  a  dead  man!"  ex- 
chiimed  some  one.  "Ono!"  he  replied 
almost  instantly  opening  his  eyes,  "I'm 
better  than  any  six  dead  men."'  Dr. 
Howe  dressed  his  head,  which  was  badly 
cut,  and  he  declared  himself  all  right. 
but  it  was  a  fortnight  before  lie  was 
again  able  to  work.  The  last  building 
moved  was  tb.6  house  built  by  ElbriJge 
Peabody.  It  was  purchased  by  John 
Bennett  of  Gilead,  and  hauled  down  the 
river, 

A  company  of  thirty-five  or  forty 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Daniel 
Evans  used  to  train,  or  drill,  as  it  is  now- 
called.  They  had  no  uniforms,  and  part 
of  them  used  sticks  instead  of  guns,  but 
oi.e  of  the  members  says  they  could  go 
through  the  motions  as  well  as  the 
White  Mountain  Rifles.  Warren  Coffin 
of  Gilead,  was  drummer  and  Asa  Pea- 
body  tifer. 

There  was  another  company  m;tny 
years  before  this,  but  only  the  fif«  r, 
Enoch  Messer  is  remembered.  An  inter- 
esting incident  of  superstition  and  a 
subsequent  tragedy  is  related  of  him. 
One  day  when  he  was  dressing  for  train- 
ing his  wife  wrent  to  the  bureau  drawer 
for  his  fine  shirt,  and  there  on  the,  bosom 
was  a  spot  of  fresh  blood.  Shortly  aft'-r- 
ward  lie  went  out  to  shave  shingles  with 


75 

Ben  Griffin.  A  shower  came  up,  accomp 
panied  by  a  heavy  wind  that  seemed  to 
whirl  round  and  round,  taking  every- 
thing in  its  way.  Mr.  Griffin  saw  a  big 
pine  tree  falling,  ami  sprang  to  one  side, 
but  Mr.  Messer  stood  looking  right  up  at 
it.  It  struck  him  on  the  head  with  such 
force  as  to  drive  his  feet  into  the  ground 
ami  break  nearly  every  bone  in  his  body. 
His  fife,  which  was  found  in  his  pocket, 
was  afterward  owned  by  Enoch  Hub- 
bard. 

Youth  and  health  are  always  beautiful, 
but  some  of  the  Shelburne  girls  have 
possessed  even  more  of  Nuture's  gift*. 
As  many  are  long  since  dead  and  those 
who  remain  have  lost  their  girlish 
charm*,  it  will  provoke  no  jealousy  if  we 
particularize  a  few  of  these  old  time 
belies.  The  Porter  girls  were  all  blondes 
of  the  purest  type,  but  Sarah  (Mrs.  John 
Chandler)  was  called  thy  prettiest  of  the 
seven  sisters.  The  Lary  girls  had  deli- 
cate wild  rose  complexions  and  large, 
bright  blue  eyes.  The  Evans  girls  were 
tlark'-r.  and  Roxy  in  particular  had  bril- 
liant dark  eyes  and  rosy  cheeks.  Capt. 
Eva  is'  adopted  daughter,  Eliza,  had  a 
very  clear  white  complexion,  flaxen 
h-iir.  and  eyes  a  shade  or  two  darker. 
She  and  Hepsy,  the  captain's  own 
daughter,  always  dressed  alike,  and 


76 

when  they  married    their    muftis    wore 
just  the  same. 

It  would  hardly  be  fair  to  pass  the 
children  without  a  word  as  to  how  they 
amused  themselves  when  they  had  no 
store  playthings,  no  picture  books,  no 
boys  and  girls  magazine,  and  only  very 
rarely  a  taste  of  candy  or  onmges.  They 
had  pets;  an  owl,  a  cosset  lamb,  a  flock 
of  tamed  pigeons.  One  littl  j  boy  had  a 
big  dog  tliat  was  broken  to  work  like  a 
horse.  He  could  haul  quite  a  load  of 
wood  in  a  little  cart  or  draw  his  master 
a  mile  or  more  at  a  smart  trot.  Oihers 
had  steers  to  handy  and  use.  and  it  was 
a  great  treat  to  take  the  little  team  and 
carry  mother  and  sisters  out  visitinsf. 
El  bridge  and  Roswell  Peabody  used  t<> 
take  their  steers  across  the  Great  Island 
in  the  winter  and  bring  Mrs.  Goodale 
and  her  daughter  Delphina  over  on  the 
little  sled.  Jn  the  summer  Elbridge  had 
a  sort  of  cart  called  a  bumblebee;  the 
wheels  being  simply  wide  trucks  sawed 
from  a  huge  log.  When  the  children 
were  confined  within  doors  they  parched 
corn  in  the  ashes,  made  wooden  oxin. 
yokes,  windmills,  sawboys.  and  in  fact 
an  infinite  variety  of  playthings  that  af- 
forded as  much  pleasure  as  articles  cost- 
ing two  or  three  dollars  would  now. 
One  little  girl  had  a  play-house  in  a 


V 

i 

77 

hollow  pine  stump.  Her  dolls  were 
only  bits  of  linen  rolled  up.  but  with 
their  aid  she  enacted  runny  scenes  from 
a:i  ide:il  drama,  dreamed  m;my  dreams 
ih:it  were  nnver  told  and  never  reali/ed. 
and  wove  many  fancies  that  the  future 
wa>hi'd  out  in  tears.  The  day  before 
fhe  tiff  i  lelt  home  to  work  out  she  play- 
ed till  the  alternoon  shadows  had  drank 
th«  sun-hiue,  then  carefully  arranged 
the  little  caricatui1'  s  of  humanity  in 
their  mossy  beds,  put  up  the  bark  door 
an  I  lett  them,  never  to  return  to  the 
heo  child  life  acain.  At  present  our 
stock  of  recreations  is  small;  ba?e  ball 
is  played  out;  the  Maple  Leaves  are 
fallen;  the  Silver  Si ars  have  set ;  lyce- 
ums  fall  through  fur  \\ai.t  of  support. 
O  dy  the  Sewing  CirAle.  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  town  seems  to  thrive,  anil  ocea- 
*ionally  <>ives  necktie  festivals  or  oyster 
suppers. 


78 

CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  INDIANS, 

Newspapers  are  so  plenty  now-a-duys 
that  \\eaie  lamii.ar  \\iih  all  tne  details 
ol  lolly  and  crime.  An  account  ot  ihe 
killing  «'l  one  or  two  men  by  Indians 
Won  la  Oe  given  but  a  passing  tnuug.it, 
but  ill  one's  o\\ii  town  sucli  lneiueiiis 
assume  an  iiupurtu.ice  not  accorded  by 
the  world  at  large. 

On  the  mor.iing  of  August  3.  17ol, 
just  one  hundred  years  ng«>,  a  p.iriy  ot 
.six  Indians,  painled  and  armed  \vnh 
guns  and  lonianawKS.  came  out  ot  lue 
\\oudaat  liei.nel,  t.ieu  e.ilieU  oudOur^  ; 
llit-ro  lliey  took  lour  prisoners,  Juu.tlliaii 
and  Benjamin  ('i.uk.  Jo.ialliuii  Acgaf 
iind  Eleazer  i'xvitclieil.  At  Uiiead  i::«-y 
took  Jauiea  i'eitingill,  bin  lor  suine  uu- 
k.iovvu  iv-ajon  lie  was  Killed  and  scalped 
\\uen u  shji't.  distance  ii'oin  the.  hi>na«.*. 
T»vo  cniidren,  Nancy  a:.d  biCi«nen  JMi-s- 
s>-r,  wire  pliymg  m  a  omok  a  iiuie  iar- 
tller  on.  ai.U  ino  Indians  ;i>kc  I  Uiein  it' 
any  nii-u  \ve.re  in  t.ie  next  h  ni.-e.  '1'i.ey 
never  could  leli  Wiiat  possessed  them  lo 
answer  as  Liiey  did.  "i'es,  Uiere  are  ten 
men,  and  ih^y  all  h.ivt;  g.ms.''  lint 
tlieir  un reason, ng  answer  pr,.bably  saved 
their  father's  iiic.  tor  he  was  aluiie  m 


79 

the  house,  aiu!  had   often    said    he   never 
would    be  taken  alive. 

J'einemlKTing  the  cruel,  treacherous 
nature  of  the  savage,  it  seems  wonder- 
ful that  they  did  not  kill  the  children 
outright,  instead  of  unit-ring  them  to 
keep  on  down  to  Mr.  PettingiU's.  To 
avoid  passing  a  house  they  thought  so 
well  guartleu  the  Indians  crossed  the 
AnUroscoggiii  and  went  up  to  Hope 
Au.-tin'y,  on  the  north  side.  Ili-re  they 
killed  an  ox  rind  picked  up  eyeryihing  of 
value.  No  harm  was  dene  the  family, 
tiiougii  they  were  much  frightened,  and 
Mrs.  Au-tin  *aiil :  "My  Judy  and  my 
Jt-ems  hung  right  io  my  elixir  all  the 
limn  old  Tumpty  Magau  was  there." 
Mr.  Austin  was  *ip  to  Capt.  iiidge's.  He 
saw  Peter  Poor  shot,  clown,  and  frantic. 
v\  ii  h  lear  tied  down  ihe  mill  brook  and 
across  the  river  to  Deacon  Ingalls', 
where  he  found  his  wife  and  children. 
Elijah,  the  Deacon's  son,  had  been  taken 
prisoner,  but  was  released,  some  say  on 
UiMjuuiii  of  his  ino.h  r's  grief,  but  it  is 
more  1  kely  their  own  superstition  led 
them  to  respect  the  unfortunate  boy. 
Mr.  ll'nige  is  supposed  to  have  been  a 
Tory,  an  I  certainly  he  did  seem  to  have 
a  good  understanding  with  his  unex- 
pected guests.  If  he  had  untied  the 
prisoners'  hands,  as  Clark  begged  him  to 


80 

do,  the  Indians  might  hnvc  nil  been  cap- 
tured while  down  in  the  cellar;  but  lie 
not  only  permittul  them  to  take  what 
they  wanted,  but  evtn  brought  foiwaid 
things  himself. 

In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Me.«ser  search- 
ing  to i  his  cliilur  n.  tumid  Mrs.  Pi-i tin- 
gill  \Yiilkii. £  i hu  floor  iin.l  wriiigiug  her 
hinds,  while  all  around  her  \\ere  un  ken 
dishes  a. id  lurnilipe.  She  told  him  her 
husband  \\as  a  prisoner,  not  k  lowing 
liis  more  teirible  late.  The  liule  s-etile- 
meiit  colhctt-d  io^>etii<  r.  and  Irarin^;  the 
savage  eiiemii-s  mi^ht  n  turn,  tney  went 
iijii.u  llai'k  Hill  and  spent  tl.e  ni^ht 
Bi-tsy  Me->er  l'oiute.:ii  y«  ars  old.  carried 
her  bio.her  riamtiel  o  .  her  back.  Nancy, 
her  sisier.  was  too  younij  t»  icali/.e  ihf 
situation,  a. id  her  only  memory  ol  tlie 
terrib.e  ni^ht  was  ih,;  irr.itatii  g  toitnre 
ot  tlie  blai-k  tlies  an  i  inosquiii.es.  The 
next  day  the  settlers  t  »ok  their  cattle 
aad  \\hit  few  household  articles  they 
could  carry  and  went  to  Fry e burg  aUvl 
btayetl  till  spring. 

This  was  tlie  la.-t  murderous  raid  the 
Indians  made  in  these  parts,  but  for 
some  years  parties  of  them  appeared, 
occasionally  drinking,  lighting,  and 
scaling  women  and  child) en.  Five  or 
six  c.ime  to  Mi.  Messer's  one  day. 
grounJ  up  their  knives,  dug  up  a  patch 


SI 

<>f  English  turnips  and  -raved  rounJ  as 
(hough  possessed  oi  the  evil  one.  An- 
other lot  went  to  Deacon  Green's  and 
wanted  to  borrow  a  tin  dish.  Anxious 
to  gain  their  good  will  Mrs.  Green  gave 
them  u  i.ew  pi-it  dippei.  They  then 
went  up  to  Chandler'*,  got  a  supply  of 
ruin,  slopped  by  the  roadside,  and  danc- 
ed, while  one  of  the  number  kept  time 
on  the  ba.-in.  It  must  be  the  band  was 
ctiealed  ot  its  share  <>:'  the  stimulant,  for 
though  01. e  alter  anothtr  ol  the  dancers 
droppeu  down  in  a  drunken  sleep  the 
music  grew  more  rapid  and  vigoious. 
Afur  li. e  melody  was  all  battered  out  of 
the  i.ew  lin  dipper  the  ••honest  injun'' 
carried  it  back,  and  as  he  handed  it  to 
Mrs.  Ijrcen  \\ith  a  polite  bow  he  over- 
balanced and  pitched  headlong  into  the 
lire- j.  lace. 

Aloll  LocKet  and  her  daughter,  Moll 
;Sy.su p.  us-ed  to  pass  through  here  occa- 
sionally, and  later  Billy  Williams  and  his 
wife,  buliy  Mitchell,  made  and  sold  bas- 
kets, i'ney  bad  tVko  little  boys,  one  of 
which  \\as  named  tor  Ton:  Hegan,  more 
commonly  called  by  old  people  Tumpty 
Magau.  Very  rarely  now  we  see  an 
Indian  pedler  witn  his  packs  ot  fancy 
baskets  and  bead-embroidered  cushions, 
but  he  bears  little  resemblance  to  his 
\\ilcl  and  savage  ancesters. 


82 


SHELBURXE'S  SOLDIERS. 

Sever. il  of  the  first  se' tiers  were  Rev- 
olutioiiiiry  soUiers.  Evans.  Clemens, 
Wnealer.  Lary,  and  peihaps  others  of 
which  we  did  not  hear.  T<nu  Maiston 
and  llosea  Younij  went  out  in  the  1812 
w.i:1,  and  n:ver  returned.  Samuel  Wil- 
son, Reuben  Hob nt  and  Peter  Wheeler 
came  sately  bui'k.  Mr.  Wheeler  was 
wit.'i  Perry,  and  used  to  tell  how  the 
bullets  fell  on  deck,  seemingly  as  thick 
as  hail-sti'nes.  At.  the  clo^e  of  ihe  war 
some  eliiidreu  were  star:le  I  by  a  "road 
full  of  soldiers.''  One  of  them  stopped 
and  asked :  "Are  you  Amos  Peahody's 
children V  "Yes,"  was  the  answer. 
'•Well,  you  can  tell  your  faiher  that  you 
saw  Peter  Wheeler  going  home  from 
war." 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  Shel- 
burne  treely  contributed  to  the  human 
saeritlce  require, 1.  A  volume  of  lemin- 
isee  iocs  mi^ht  be  written  on  this  suh- 
jeet  t  io;i^h  we  eoiild  n.-vcr  lit  y  trans- 
cribe the  bitter  pan  ing  •*.  tin:  exhausting 
marche«.  the  horror  uti  I  exdtemei.t  »f 
battle,  the  painful  wounds,  tlie  r«>co| lec- 
tion (if  w.iioh  terrible  homesirk  longings 
stirs  the  iiurator.  and  semis  a  spmpa- 
thetic  thrill  through  t!ie  heart  ot  the 


83 

listener.  One,  of  the  first  to  respond  to 
his  country's  call  was  Albion  Abbott, 
adopted  son  of  Dank-l  Evans,  lie  was 
in  the  5th  New  Hampshire,  under  Col. 
Cross,  and  supposed  to  have  been  killed 
at  Fredricksbnrg.  A  comrade  stood  by 
I. is  side  when  the  orders  came  to  charge, 
and  shortly  after  reco^ni/ed  his  gnu  and 
knapsauk.  which  were  covered  with 
blood.  Nothing  more  was  ever  heard. 
Whether  he,  was  instantly  killed  and 
buried  with  others  in  one  common 
grave  or  wa-s  wounded  and  languished 
lor  w«'tk>  or  months  in  hospital,  will 
never  he  known, 

Henery  Gates  enli-ted  in  the  4th 
Maine  ttattery.  He  was  in  eleven  eu- 
jfiijfem.Mits.  ««nd  though  never  wounded 
was  otten  nearly  exliaii  ted  with  fatigue. 

One  ol  the  satlest  incidents  of  his 
three  years'  campaign  was  the  execution 
of  a  deserter.  The  solemn  and  impres- 
sive ceremonies,  and  I  he  tia^ic  death  of 
tiie  po  »r  fellow,  made  a  deep  impression 
(HI  Mr.  Hates'  mind.  Ira  Gates  went 
from  Boston  in  the.  Massachusetts  13th. 
Solomon  Wilson  was  killed  at  the  battle 
ol  Fredrieksbur*:. 

Darius  Green  was  detailed  for  hospital 
d;iiy  at  Ship  Island,  where  Butler's 
division  was  starioncd.  This  Island  is 
nine  miles  long  by  one,  half  mile  wide, 


84 

and  was  a  fashionable  resort  in  hot 
weather,  being  only  about  thirty  miles 
liom  New  Orieans.  Mr.  Un-en  says  one 
halt  was  covered  with  snow-white  *and, 
and  m<:  otuer  wiiu  nui\i  ptue,  cedar  a. id 
ahgatura'.  Ad  lie  was  mere  six  uiontns, 
and  aii w  an  alligator  sixteen  leel  iun^, 
we  allow  mat  ho  knows. 

bunloid  liiio«jurd.  Albert  Green  and 
H.iriuil  lu^uils  enlisted  tugnther  in  me 
-\,i\  j  ,  and  relurned  m  ?uiet.y  iu  ttiu  cio.-'; 

Ot  l.iC    War. 

O.ie  day  in  November,  1SU5.  while 
waiting  in  ihe  E.isieru  dej<OL  UL  i'ortia.'U, 
\ve  u«<CiceU  t\vu  curs  lull  ol  ..oiuierd  who 
had  just  co.ne  uo  \\u  iruin  Au^usui  un 
their  v\uy  to  Uaiinn^iuu.  JL  guard 
stood  Ueiore  Uie  duur,  m.<ro  us  u  i>.mi 
;I[I[KU-I  inly  man  a  pieoauliuii.  lor  on 
recognising  our  eoiii[>a.-iiuu,  Ambrose 
JucMiuia  Lnl'eW  oil'  Ouie  ov'erco.it,  ..11  i 
slipped  lhroa^,li  LUe  window  like  an  eel. 
he  was  111  LUe  0>;bt  ot  i»pinia',  uud  stayed 

till  juat  uetoru  me  tram  ttuiu-d,  w.ie.i 
wiiu  me  cool  auuachy  mat  eh.nuetL-ii/.^s 
bim,  lie  \vali\cd  up  LO  me  ^uard  and  le- 
queaieJ  aJuiitauce.  lie  noon  louud  u 
way  lo  get  OacK,  liowever,  bringing  ins 
rations  wilti  turn,  and  in  s'pltc  01  me 
unld  suggestion  ol  me  couducior  "II  ^ou 
arc  u  aoiiiier  ^  our  place  la  bacK  witli  tue 
rest  ol  tbem,''  he  remaiueJ  till  we  leti  at 


85 

Dover.  Mr.  Jackman's  native  wit  and 
shievvilness,  coupled  willi  a  demure  un- 
consciousness of  evil,  carried  him  through 
uiiiny  a  scrape  that  would  have  tried  the 
nerve  of  older  men.  But  this  reckless 
audacity  charged  to  heroism  when  he 
nuiscd  tlie  small  pox  patients  in  the 
hospital,  nursed  the  sick  and  eared  tor 
the  dead  when  they  were  so  loathsome 
v\  ith  the  di.-ease  that  the  flesh  sloughed 
from  their  bones. 

Woodbury  Jaekman.  Delevan  Iluh- 
bard.  John  Newell,  William  Ingalls 
and  Jiiifus  llodgdon  euisted  in  the  17th 
New  ilampshire,  but  wern  transferred  to 
the  2d.  Mr.  Jaekman  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  Gettysburg  battle,  and 
came  home  in  the  fall.  Mr.  Huhhard 
lo;t  two  fingers  from  his  r'ght  hand 
while  in  camp  at  Concord,  and  was  ?oon 
after  discharged.  Mr.  Newell  was  tak^n 
siek  soon  alter  reaching  Washingion, 
went  to  the  hospital  at  Philadelphia, 
and  .-tayed  all  summer.  Mr.  Ingjills  and 
Mr.  Ilodgdon  both  d'.ed  and  their  re- 
mains were,  brought  home  for  burial. 

Leland  Philbrook  dieJ  of  spotted 
fever.  He  was  brought  home  ard  funeral 
services  he'd  at  Mr.  Harvey  Phillnooks.' 

Josiali  Black  and  his  sons  did  not  en- 
list from  Shelburne.  but  the  family  re- 
moved here  soon  after,  and  are  well 


86 

known.  Mr.  Black  served  in  tho  Ma:ne 
1st  uud  lUtli.  ll«  was  stationed  one 
winter  at  ila'-pcr's  Ftrry.  David  \\ as  in 
tlie  5tli  Maine  Battery,  and  saw  many 
hir  I  bailies.  Lawson  was  wounded  in 
the  leg  an  I  ta!<en  pri.-oiser  at  Chanceilor- 
vilie.  A  letter  was  subsequently  receiv- 
ed from  a  chaplain  informing:  his  friends 
tliat  lie  suffered  amputation  of  his  leg, 
and  died  only  eight  days  after.  Fred 
went  to  New  Orleans  when  scarcely  well 
of  tiie  me.isles.  They  camped  on  the 
ground  the  night  of  lhe.il  arrival,  an  1 
though  his  comrades  generously  cover- 
ed him  witii  their  own  ulaiikets,  lie  took 
cold  and  \\as  obliged  to  go  to  the  hospi- 
tal, lie  bi-g^ed  10  be  sent  back,  away 
from  ihw  enervating  climate  to  his  own 
northern  home,  where  his  moth  r  and 
sisters  could  nurse  him  back  to  health  : 
but  in  the  hurry  and  excitement  his  re- 
quest was  unheeded.  He  then  sent  tor 
his  friend.  Liriit  Fisher,  to  conn*  and  see 
him.  This  also  wa*  denied.  The  trans- 
port vessel  was  ready  to  sail  and  no 
passes  couid  be  given.  The  poor  home- 
sick boy's  last  look  it-sted  on  the  pallid 
faces  of  his  sufl'ding  companion.*,  and 
the  compassionate  though  imt.-imili.ir 
nurses;  but  he  sleeps  as  sweeily  in  his 
unknown  grave  beneath  the  blue  Louisi- 
ana skies  as  though  watched  over  by 


87 
loving  friends. 

Isaiah  Spillei  enlisted  as  a  private, 
but  afterward  serveth  as  blacksmith  in 
the  5tli  Maine  Battery.  Tlie  first  winter 
lie  was  in  cjinip  at  A"gusia  with  no  shel- 
ter but  a  tent.  Tliey  went  to  the  front 
in  April,  and  Mr.  Spiller  was  in  the- 
seven  days'  march  under  McDowell. 
Though  never  actually  engaged  in  battle, 
he  was  near  during  the  engagements  of 
Anteitaiu,  Gettysburg,  Fredricksburg. 
Winchester.  The  Wilderness,  and  Bull 
Knn.  He  was  freqtu-ntly  out  with  for- 
aging parlies  when  cattle,  orchards,  and 
ail  kn.ds  of  property  were  wontonly 
destroyed.  A  man  would  be  given  five 
minutes'  warning,  and  his  beautiful  house 
bnrneu  dov\n.  leaving  him  with  his  fam- 
ily without  shelter.  One  time  they 
came  to  a  nice  looking  residence,  appar- 
ently deserted  except  by  a  young  girl, 
who  sat  on  the  door-step,  holding  a 
pretty  grey  horse  by  a  long  line  while 
he  feil  round  the  door-yard.  On  pretense 
of  at  tending  to  the  horses,  Mr.  Spiller 
went  round  the  corner  of  the  house  and 
laid  low  while  the  captain  talked  to  the 
girl.  Presently  the  grey  pony  fed  along 
just  out  ot  sigiit.  and  quick  as  thought 
the  saddle  and  bridle  were  shifted  from 
one  of  the  other  horses.  Mr.  tipiller 
sprang  on  his  back,  cut  the  rop^  and 


88 

was  off  before  (he  Southern  girl  knew 
of  her  loss.  "O!  :  hat  was  real  mean!'' 
we  cried  indig:iaurly.  "Well,  yes;''  he 
admitted,  "it  w.is  raiher  a  mean  trick  ; 
but  they  would  have  done  ihe  same  to 
us."  Yes.  so  th'-y  would;  burnt  our 
houses,  destroyed  our  crops,  laid  waste 
our  orchards,  killed  our  flocks  and 
herds,  ami  abused  our  women  and  child- 
ren, but  that  the  fortunes  of  war  made 
Virginia  the  battle-ground  instead  of 
New  Hampshire. 

In  the  tall  of  1776,  when  the  American 
army  at  Quebec  was  in  a  most  deplorable 
condition,  twelve  deserters  made  their 
appearance  in  Shelburne.  They  weie 
discoveicd  by  Capt.  Ridge's  negro,  and 
induced  to  come  to  the  house.  0'ie  of 
tl.eir  n  i  tuber  had  been  left  at  Err.il.  be- 
ing too  much  exhausted  to  walk  fart  her. 
O.i  hearing  this.  Capt.  Ridge,  accom- 
panied by  Moses  Ingalls,  then  about 
thirty  years  old.  started  in  quest  of  him. 
He  had  draggeii  himself  to  a  little  stream 
to  drink,  and  too  weak  to  rise,  or  per- 
haps too  despairing  to  care  to.  he  lay 
on  his  lace  an  I  drowned.  They  buried 
him  on  the  bank  of  the  little  riv<  r.  and 
in  memory  of  his  fate  called  it  Hall's 
stream. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BURYING  GROUNDS. 

To  those  who  sometimes  ••pause  by 
soine  neglected  grave-yard  (or  a  while  to 
muse  and  ponder."  a  ?hort  notice  ol  these 
silent  cities  ol  the  halt  lot  gotten  dead 
may  not  be  uninteresting. 

Perhaps  ihe  lirst  spot  ot  ground  given 
lo  i lie  dead  in  the  new  settlement  is 
occupied  by  the  mutilated  remain-;  of 
Peter  Poi-r.  lie  lies  just  below  the  bill 
on  the  intervale  owued  by  Martin  Bur- 
bunk.  Some  simple  memorial  should  be 
raised  over  his  grave  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  ot  i  ho^e  early  times,  when  the 
uerxous  tears  ot  women  and  el  ildren 
luiiied  eviry  shadow  and  every  unwont- 
ed noise  into  a  lurking  loe.  and  the  hus- 
band and  lather  Wtnt  to  his  daily  \\orK 
armed  as  tor  battle. 

Many  ot  the  old  families  were  buried 
on  tnc  Porter  place,  Among  others 
were  Oliver  Peabody  and  his  \\ile,  Mrs.  \ 
Kunnels  and  her  daughter  Mary  Ann, 
who  i.ied  ot  throat  di.-tcmper.  Mr.  Run- 
nels disappeared  \\hen  ihis  child  was  a 
lew  months  old,  and  WHS  never  heard 
Jioin  alter.  The  railroad  cut  off  one  end 
ot  ihi.- ya.nl.  exposing  some  ol  the  coffins. 
Many  were  removed  to  a  new  yard,  and 


90 

doubtless  others  were  forgotten  or  un- 
known to  the  living. 

The  new  yard  below  the  stor-k  farm  is 
weilk-pt.  an  I  contdns  a  number  of 
ha'itlsome  stones.  E^q.  Bnrbank's  is  a 
iininke  moniirue'it.  Mai  tin  Buruank's 
children,  who  died  witli  dipthjria.  were 
br night  over  h»re.  LitileHattie  was  a 
lovely  child,  and  Death  touclie  1  her  so 
lightly  that  the  lifeless  form  was  almost 
perfect  in  its  waxen  fairness. 

Fletcher  InjjalU  !in  1  his  wife,  nnl 
Thomas  Hubbard  an  1  his  wife  are  buried 
near  Mo*es  Haxeltine's.  The  graves  of 
Noah  Gould's  children.  \\h<»  died  of 
throat  distemper,  are  mark-d  by  plain 
grey  Atones.  Melvina.  another  daughter 
of  Mr.  Gould,  jumped  from  a  rock  while 
at  play,  and  received  fatal  injuries. 
Many  hive  been  taken  up  from  h  re  and 
reburied  in  a  new  yaid.  A  child  five, 
years  old  that  hail  been  buried  thirty 
years  was  found  petrified. 

On  the  hill  near  the  e.hun-h  is  George 
Green's  family  burying  yard. 

No  one  who  passes  can  f-iil  to  notice  a 
little  enclosure  tilled  with  *hrubeiy  near 
Otis  Evans'.  The  while  headstone  re- 
cords ih;  name  and  age  of  William 
Evans.  The  nntime'y  death  of  this 
promN-'ng  vnng  man  will  alwaj^s  be 
deeply  regreted  ;  not  only  by  his  own 


91 

family,  on  whom  this  affliction  t'«  11  with 
crushing  force,  but  by  all  His  friends 
and  acquaintance's. 

The  Evans.  Cleni'-ns  and  H- ads  are 
on  the  Jot  ham  Lary  place;  and  Mr.  Lary 
Inmsclr'  was  brought  back  from  Ma'ne, 
where  he  passed  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  and  laid  to  rest  near  the  home  of 
Ids  youth. 

Three  generations  of  Austins  sleep  in 
the  yard  near  the  old  homestead. 

In  the  yard  ivar  Mr.  Minard's  are  the 
Ingalls.  the  Wheelers,  the  Greens  and 
the  Philbrooks. 

•On  the  hill  in  front  of  Gates'  Cottage 
is  the  family  burying  ground  of  the 
Gates.  Mrs.  Ba/eleel  Gates  was  thrown 
Ir.im  a  w:igiin  when  retipnirg  from 
church,  and  instantly  killed.  Amu,  a 
pretty  little  Irish  girl,  and  a  protege  of 
MUs  Sarah  Ga^es,  died  of  consumption 
at  t  lie  age  of  thirteen. 

But  perhaps  the  most  pathetic  story 
of  the  delusiveness  of  hum  in  hopes  and 
the  certainty  of  sorrow  and  disappoint- 
ment is  written  on  the  row  of  narrow 
mounds  across  one  end  of  the  little  yard 
ii"ar  the  Lead  Mine  brook.  Jacob 
Stevens  anl  his  wife  came  to  Shelbnrne 
some  twenty-five  years  a«;o.  and  bought 
the  farm  owned  by  Darius  Green.  They 
were  a  most  amiable  and  industrious 


92 

couple,  and  managed  not  only  to  bring 
up  u  family  of  nine  children,  b'lt  saved  a 
competence.  The  children  were  strong 
ami  healthy  looking,  but  some  fatality 
seemed  to  overshadow  them.  The  Hr>t 
sickness  was  the  last.  Harriet  died  dur- 
ing the  typhoid  lever.  A  married 
daughter,  Mrs.  Manson  Green,  and  three 
grown  up  sons.  Simeon.  Henry  and 
Charles,  were  claimed  by  Death  \\itliin 
12  years.  Broken  in  health  and  spirits 
Mr.  Stevens  was  the  next  victim,  an*!  in 
little  more  than  a  year  Ellen,  the  young- 
est daughter,  followed  him.  It  would 
seem  that  th*5  insatiate  conqueror  was 
now  satisfied.  Herbert,  tlie  joni.gest 
son,  married  Josie  Martin  and  remained 
at  home  with  his  mother.  He  was  a  tail, 
rugged  looking  young  man,  the  very 
embodiment  ot  h.-aMitul  lite.  A  Ititie 
daughter  was  born,  but  tne  sweet  blos- 
som faded  in  five  short  mouths.  In  just 
two  years  an  infant  son  was  taken  from 
the  ill-lated  tamily,  and  Herbert  was  in 
the  last  stages  of  consumption.  It  was 
a  sad  funeral,  doubly  sad,  but  the  sym- 
pathies of  the  friend;  anil  neighbor^  were 
not  so  much  for  th^  sorrow-stricken 
mother  a:id  suffering  lather  as  lor  the 
poor  old  grandmother,  so  uiteriy  crnslvd 
an  1  helpless  she  Deemed  when  led  out  to 
join  the  procession.  It  was  the  last 


time  she  rode  over  the  familiar  road  as  a 
mourner,  f«>r  when  Herbert  died  she  was 
too  ill  to  see  him  laid  in  his  last  resting- 
place.  For  six  months  she  battled  with 
incurable  disease,  literally  struggling 
for  breath,  and  :hen  was  mercifully  re- 
leased. The  oldest  son,  Joseph,  Drifted 
off  out  west,  and  from  there  to  Australia 
and  has  been  lost  sight  of  for  many 
year?.  Living  or  dead  he  is  as  lost  to 
his  friends  as  though  sleeping  in  his 
grave.  Of  all  the  onee  pleasant  family 
only  one  daughter,  Mr*.  Loren  Evans, 
remains.  A?  we  have  read  the  suc- 
cessive chapters  in  tin's  story  of  real 
life,  it  bus  seemed  sadder  and  sadder, 
though  we  know  there  are  worse  afflic- 
tions than  death,  bitterer  d's.ippoint- 
ment  and  more,  overwhelming  soirow,' 
over  the  wayward  living  than  over  the 
peaceful  dead. 

A  little  slate  headstone  marks  the  ppit 
where  lie  two  children  of  Stephen  Pea- 
bofly.  victims  of  throat  distemper; 
Amelia,  a  promising  chill  of  eight,  and 
D:miel  aged  two.  Little  Danny,  forty- 
seven  years  in  his  narrow  grave,  is  still 
a  precious  baby  in  the  hearts  and  minds 
of  hU  friends.  Time  never  shall  silver 
the  golden  hair  nor  wiinkle  the  rosy 
dimpled  face.  Enoch  Peabody  had  a 
son  of  the  same  age,  and  hoping  to  es- 


94 

eape  the  pestilence  he  removed  t<>  Berlin. 
Al'an  IVabody  went  up  with  th<-m.  and 
»•»  he  drove  away  little  Allan,  hi*  niiiic- 
*ake.  said  sorrowfully :  "I  never'll  see 
El  again.  '  "O  yes  you  will,"  replied 
his  mother,  "next  we<  k  you  shall  go 
down  and  make  H  visit."'  But  he  on!y 
shorik  his  golden  head  and  repeated 
sadly,  "I  iiever'll  see  El  ajjain."  And 
he;  never  did.  Tlie  dread  disease  tli'-y 
Hod  from  was  on  their  track,  and  little 
Allan's  next  week  was  in  eternity.  In 
the  same  row  lies  Edith,  oldest  daughter 
of  R.  P.  Peabndy. 

"How  shall  we  know  her?    We  were  so  sail, 
As  we  saw  Iwr  last  in  her  grave  clothes  clail, 
But  the  eye  and  the  smile  shall  greet  us  there 
As  Ihey  shone  on  earth,  but  mure  dazzling  fair, 
And  in  robes  of  white  i:i  that  radiant  sphere 
She  will  bear  the  likeness  she  once  bore  hero." 

In  the  next  row  back  is  buried  all  that 
is  mortal  of  Mary  Ellen,  oldest  daughter 
of  Allan  Peabody,  a  lovely  and  intelli- 
gent girl  of  twenty-two.  Knowing  and 
loving  her  from  childhood  perhaps  our 
judgement  may  be  partial,  but  to  us  s^he 
possessed  rare  capabilities  for  usefulness 
and  happiness.  With  only  limited 
school  privileges  she  acquired  a  thorough 
Enjrli*h  education,  and  was  conversant 
with  the  best  literature  of  the  day.  She 
was  in  failing  health  for  two  years,  and 
during  the  last  few  weeks  her  disease 


ys 

Assumed  a  most  di?tj'e?sing  form;  hut 
.<h"  was  patient  and  cheerful,  so  remark- 
a'dy  oheei  ful  and  even  lively  that  bur 
tew  reali/fd  ho\v  near  she  stood  tu 
eterniiy.  S  e  was  glad  to  go,  and 
though  we  mourn  her  loss,  we  believe  it 
is  her  infinite  gain.  We  le.ive  these 
s;icred  enclosures  feeling  more  keenly 
than  ever  if  this  life  were  all.  "we  are  of 
a! linen  most  miserable.*'  Our  friends 
>lip  from  our  embrace,  and  vainly  we 
strive  to  follow  their  flight  through  the 
darkness  ot  futurity.  No  tender  voice 
comes  back  to  cheer  us,  no  loving  hands 
stretch  out  to  guide  us,  but  an  inborn 
faith  points  to  a  single  star  of  hope, 
'•though  weeping  may  endure  for  a 
night,  joy  cometh  in  the  morning." 

END  OF  PART  FIRST. 


96 


HISTORY  OF 

THE 

SHELBURNE 


BY  MRS.  R.  P.  PEABODY. 


(Continued  irom  MOUNTAINEER,  No.  6, 1881.) 
(History  of  Shelburne,  page  42.) 


Three  or  four  years  later,  the  local 
agent.  Barker  Burbank,  hired  Ben 
Morse  and  Koswell  Peabody  to  crush 
the  ore  remaining  on  hand,  and  pack  it 
into  barrels. 

In  1855  the  property  changed  hands, 
and  about  that  lime  a  Mr.  Pinch  came 
on.  put  in  a  few  blasts,  and  partly 
emptied  one  shaft ;  but  nothing  came  of 
it.  and  for  many  years  after  the  mine 
was  deserted  save  by  occasional  visitors, 
curious  to  see  the  rusty  machinery  and 
the  shafts,  which  were  only  round  spots 


97 

of  water,  blinking  like  greut  eyes  in  the 
sunlight.  The  dam  rotted  down,  rocks 
and  debris  buried  the  engine,  and  the 
houses  were  fast  going  to  ruin.  Finally 
the  machinery  was  sent  to  the  foundery 
at  Lancaster,  and  what  remained  of  the 
buildings  sold  to  El  bridge  Peabody. 

In  the  spring  of  1880  a  new  company 
was  organized  under  the  name  of  the 
Shelburnc  Mining  Co.,  with  a  Capita! 
Stock  of  $500,000.  The  office  is  at  No. 
93  Exchange  St.,  Portland.  Me.,  and  the 
President,  L.  D.  M.  Sweat,  and  all  the 
Directors  but  one  are  residents  of  that 
city. 

The  property  consists  of  a  tract  of 
mineral  land  eighty  rods  square,  having 
for  its  centre  the  main  shaft  sunk  by  the 
old  company.  In  his  report  of  the  mine. 
Prof.  C.  H.  Hitchcock,  State  geologist 
of  New  Hampshire.  s:iys :  ''The  ore 
closly  resembles  the  mass  of  ores  taken 
out  of  the  Comstosk.  It  would  puzzle 
most  of  us  to  separate  the  specimens 
from  Slieiburne  an  1  Nevada,  were  two 
piles  of  the  ore  from  the  two  localities 
mixed  together.  The  quantity  of  this 
ore  is  immense,  averaging  sixteen  feet 
thick  and  eighty  rods  long,  extending 
downward  indefinitely. " 

"Quartz  from  the  very  bottom  of  the 
shaft  is  said  to  have  yielded  $10.00  in 


98 

gold,  besides  silver.  Excellent  speci- 
mens of  galena  have  also  come  from  a 
great  depth  as  well  as  handsome  pieces 
of  brittle  silver.'' 

••Four  samples  sent  by  the  company 
yielded  : 

1st  sample,  5(54  per  cent  lead.  32  Ibs 
silver  to  the  too. 

2d  sample.  43  per  cent  lead,  36  Ibs 
silver  to  the  ton. 

3d  sample.  446  per  cent  lead,  648  Ibs 
silver  to  the  ton. 

4th  sample.  426  per  cent  lead,  753  Ibs 
silver  to  the  ton.'' 

Experts  of  thirty  years  ago,  among 
whom  are  Hodge  of  New  York,  Jack- 
son and  Richardson  of  Massachusetts, 
Prof  Avery  and  Dr.  Partz  all  agree 
that  the  mine  h  very  valuable. 

Prof.  James  Hodge,  of  New  York, 
speaking  of  the  vein,  says:  "It  is  per- 
manent, cannot  be  exhausted  in  depth 
nor  probably  in  length," 

Mr.  A.  A.  Hayes.  State  Assayer  of 
Massachusetts,  gives  the  following  re- 
sult of  his  assay : 

1st  sample,  32  Ibs  pure   silver    to    ton. 

2d       •*        36    "       "        *•        •'       " 

3d       ••     6477    "       "        u        "       " 

4th      ••       753    >k       l ' 

Dr.  Jackson,  in  his  report  to  the  New 
Hampshire  Legislature,  remarks  that 


99 

"The  ore  contains  three  pounds  of  silver 
to  the  ton ;  hence  it  is  worth  $60  per 
ton  for  the  silver,  while  it  also  yields  70 
per  cent  of  lead." 

Frank  L.  Bartlett,  State  Assayer  of 
Maine,  gives  the  composition  of  the 
Shelburne  ore  as  follows: 

THE    MATRIX. 

Quartz,  .90 

Calcite.  .06 

Feldspar,  .03 

Clay  Slate,  .01 

THE    ORE. 

Argentiferous  Galena.  .90 

Zinc  Bleml,  .05 

Copper  Prites.  .03 

Iron  Prites,  '02 

The  chart  of  rhe  shaft  shows  a  perpen- 
dicular descent  of  fifty-eight  feet,  then 
an  incline  of  about  60°  to  the  northward. 
Several  short  drift*  or  tunnels  lead  from 
it  to  the  east  and  west.  The  upper  and 
most  important,  one  extends  sixty-five 
feet  westerly,  ami  carries  a  rich  seam  of 
galena,  varying  from  a  few  inches  to 
two  leet  thick.  From  this  drift  was 
takt-ii  the  specimen  exhibited  at  Syden- 
ham  Palace  in  1851.  about  four  feet 
square,  and  weighing;  2400  Ibs. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1880.  E,  M. 
Hubbard  ami  sons  built  a  dam  to  turn 
the  course  of  the  brook,  and  soon  after 


100 

four  or  live  men,  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  John  Johnson,  commenced  to  empty 
the  iniiiii  shaft.  The  stagnant,  milky- 
looking  water  was  very  offensive,  and 
many  thought  the  foul  gasses  would 
generate  fevers;  but  nothing  worse  than 
headache  and  nausea  was  felt  03'  those 
at  work  around  it  They  tried  hauling 
up  the  water  by  hand,  but  it  ran  in  near- 
ly as  fast  as  they  could  dip  it  out.  Even 
after  the  engine  was  procured  it  was 
busy  work  to  hold  their  own  against  the 
flood  that  came  in  tiny  streams  from  all 
direction*. 

In  October  Washirgton  Newell  con- 
tracted to  put  up  a  shaft-house  and 
boarding-house  within  a  period  of  four 
weeks.  The  lumber  was  carred  down 
to  the  siding  from  Gorham  hauled  to 
the  mine  hy  two  two-horse  teams,  and 
the  buildings  ready  to  use  at  the  specified 
time. 

The  works  are  well  worth  a  visit,  and 
will  be  a  great  addition  to  the  places  of 
interest  in  tin's  vicinity.  They  are  on 
the  Lead  Mine  Riook,  only  1  1-4  mile 
from  the  main  road.  The  last  half  mile 
is  quite  rough,  but  with  careful  drivers 
is  not  dangerous.  Crossing  a  long  pole 
bridge,  we  come  to  the  little  flat  where 
stood  the  buildings  of  the  old  company, 
the  sites  of  which  can  be  plainly  traced 


101 

by  a  rank  growth  of  grass  and  catnip. 
Thirty  rods  further  on  is  the  present 
boarding-house.  20x40  feet,  containing 
sitting-room,  office,  dining-room,  store- 
room and  kitchen.  A  flight  of  stairs  in 
the  sitting-room  lead  to  the  chambers, 
furnished  with  mattresses  and  blankets. 
Mr  Harte  Coffin  boarded  a  few  weeks 
at  first,  bnt  now  the  company  hire  a  cook 
and  board  the  men  themselves.  We 
passed  through  the  entire  house,  and 
found  everything  in  Mr.  Libby's  doma'n 
in  perfect  order.  We  really  envied  him 
the  kitchen,  which  is  cool,  roomy  and 
very  pleasant,  if  one  is  not  dependent  on 
the  amount  of  passing  for  happiness. 
The  view  is  only  mountains  and  sky, 
but  these  are  susceptible  of  endless  and 
delightful  variations. 

The  shaft-house  is  30x50  and  18  feet 
posted,  and  has  recently  been  painted 
brown.  On  one  side  is  placed  the  fifteen 
horse-power  engine,  that  hoists  the  ore 
and  works  the  pump,  placed  some  240 
feet  below  the  surface.  The  water  has 
all  been  removed  from  the  shaft,  and 
with  the  pump  is  easily  krpt  out,  while 
a  brick  wall  k^eps  back  most  of  the  sur- 
face water.  The  explosive  used  is  Atlas 
power  D.,  (Giant  powder  2)  with  Glycer- 
ine as  a  basis  made  into  cartiidges. 
These  are  kept  carefully  locked  up  in  a 


102 

little  building  buck  on  the  hill?  The 
engineer.  Mr.  Harding,  kindly  explained 
the  method  of  discharging  tho  blasts  by 
electricity  when,  owing  to  dampness, 
fuse  cannot  be  used.  ••When  eight  or 
niiu:  blasts  are  all  connected  with  the 
battery  at  once  it  makes  everything 
rattle."  a  id  the  concussion  of  air  is  so 
great  that  the  caudles  are  instantly  put 
out.  A  telephone  intended  for  use  in 
the  shaft  was  of  no  practical  value, 
o'ving  t'»  these  variations.  Just  then 
the,  alarm  sounded,  the  engineer  stepped 
back  to  his  post,  and  looking  down  in- 
to the  black  depths  we  could  see  the 
white  upturned  face  of  one  of  the  men 
slowly  ascending.  The  bucket  moved 
quite  steadily,  and  by  putting  out  his 
hand  he  kept  it  from  stricking  the  sides 
of  the  shaft  Only  one  accident  has 
happened.  Last  winter  Alverton  Fare- 
well, of  Bethel,  was  struck  by  the  pump 
timbers  and  thrown  out.  He  fell  thirty- 
five  feet,  went  through  a  two  inch  plank, 
and  Ml  ten  feet  more  into  the  water. 
He  was  oadly  shaken  and  had  one  arm 
broken.  A  notice  posted  near  the  open- 
ing prohibits  the  engineer  trom  lowering 
visitors  into  the  mine,  or  allowing  them 
to  descend  on  the  ladder  without  a 
special  permit  from  the  superintendent. 
It  was  no  bar  to  our  pleasure,  for  no 


103 

probaWe  combination  of  circumstances 
wi'l  ever  induce  us  to  hang,  even  by  a 
two-inch  rope,  over  such  an  abyss.  The 
feelings  of  the  miners  when  first  intro- 
duced to  the  business,  is  quaintly  ox- 
pressed  by  the  Frenchman,  who  says : 
"You  don't  want  to  think  not  at  all  nor 
look  up;  if  you  do,  you  think  you're 
lost  sure." 

Mr.  George  D.  Holt,  the  present 
superintendent,  is  a  quiet,  aft'ihle  gentle- 
man of  acknowledged  business  capuciry. 
The  following  tribute  to  his  mining 
qualifications  we  copy  from  the  Gold 
Hill  ftews  of  March  5,  1881 : 

'•George  D.  Holt,  of  Gold  Hill  and 
Silver  City,  Nevada,  for  three  years 
superintendent  of  the  Niagara  G.  &  S. 
Mining  Co.'s  property,  and  a  worker  of 
other  mines  on  the  south  end  of  th^ 
Comstock  is  an  experienced  mining 
engineer  and  draughtsman.  Ho  was  en- 
gaged in  making  the  draughts  of  thp 
Gould  &  Curry.  Overman.  Hale  and 
Noreross  and  other  n-iw  and  extensive 
machinery  for  the  mines  and  mills  of  the 
Comstock.  and  was  formerly  draughts- 
man in  the  Union  Iron  works.  Proscott. 
Scott  &  Co.,  San  Francisco,  the  builders 
of  most  of  the  heaviest  machinery  there 
in  use." 

The  Company    propose    at    an     early 


104 

date  to  put  in  good  condition  the  road 
lending  from  the  mine  to  the  main  road 
by  the  way  of  E.  M.  Hubbard's.  This 
will  save  a  half  mile's  travel,  and  what 
is  more  important,  a  hard  pull  up  the 
Great  Hill.  If  our  people  had  a  little 
public  spirit,  and  were  anxious  to  help 
each  other,  we  have  no  doubt  the  com- 
pany might  have  been  induced  to  expend 
at  leapt  half  as  much  on  the  other  road. 
It  would  be  money  in  the  pockets  of 
every  farmer  in  town  to  give  a  week's 
work  with  a  team  for  the  sake  of  having 
this  hill  cut  down.  But  no,  they  will  go 
on  year  after  year,  pulling  the  load  up 
one  way  and  holding  it  back  the  other, 
and  spending  more  time  and  strength 
after  trigs  than  it  would  need  to  carry 
away  the  whole  hill  in  a  bushel  basket. 
A  dozen  small  cottages  will  be  built  at 
a  cost  not  exceeding  8200  each,  to  ac- 
commodate a  permanent  force  of  miners, 
doubtless  from  the  Eastern  Provinces. 
It  is  proposed  to  commence  shipping 
ore  at  regular  intervals,  say  once  a 
month  at  first,  and  ottener  as  circum- 
stances warrant  it.  Pay-day  is  the  10th 
of  every  month,  and  there  has  been  a 
standing  call  for  men  since  the  work  be- 
gan. 


105 

HISTORY    OF 

SHELBUEHE. 

BY  MRS.  R.  P.  PEABODY. 
PART   SECOND 

THE  WHfTE  MOUNTAIN  STOCK 
FARM. 

This  large  and  valuable  piece  of  prop- 
erty is  situated  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  from  Shelburne  village,  and  is 
owned  by  Judge  R.  I.  Burbank  of  Bos- 
ton. 

The  nucleus,  so  to  speak,  is  the  farm 
of  his  father,  the  late  Barker  Burbank. 
to  which  has  been  added  the  farms  for- 
merly owned  by  Fletcher  Ingalls,  Xa- 
thaniel  Porter.  Oliver  Peabody  and  Dea- 
con Edward  Green,  making  an  unbroken 
intervale  field  two  miles  in  length.  The 
hillsides,  for  the  same  distance,  have 
been  cleared  up  and  afford  ample  pas- 
turage for  one  hundred  and  twenty  head 
of  cattle.  The  house,  a  large  two  story 
building  with  extensive  ell,  carriage 
house,  workshop  and  woodshed,  was 
erected  by  Barker  Burbank  fort}'  years 


10G 

ago,  and  with  tlic  exception  of  piazza, 
modernise!  root  and  tower,  remains  un- 
changed. Probably  no  money  could 
purchase  the  diamond  shaped  window 
panes  near  the  front  door,  or  the  narrow 
winding  front  stairs. 

The  view  from  the  house  and  grounds 
is  rrnigniticent,  one  grand  picture  drawn 
and  painted  by  the  hai.d  of  Nature.  Y"ou 
seem  to  stand  in  a  vast  amphitheatre, 
three  tiers  of  mountains  rising  on  either 
hand.  The  highest,  shadowy,  indistinct, 
is  outlined  against  the  blue- gray  horizon; 
below  is  a  darker  range  heavily  wooded, 
and  lower  still  the  green  hillside  pas- 
tures. The  Androscoggin  winds  in  and 
out  like  a  jeweled  necklace  thrown  care- 
lessly down  on  its  green  velvet  bed, 
darkling  like  jet  in  the  shadows,  flashing, 
sparkling,  twinkling  like  myriads  of 
diamonds  in  the  sunlight.  Here  and 
there  a  graceful  elm  or  maple  contributes 
to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  and  in 
these  days  of  reckless  change  and  doubt- 
ful improvement  it  is  good  to  see  the 
pile  of  rocks  and  row  of  choke  cherry 
bushes  spared  because  an  honored  father 
left  them  so. 

Mr.  E.  P.  Burbank  is  superintendent, 
and  employs  from  four  to  ten  men  on 
the  farm.  Passing  down  the  road  lead- 
ing to  the  intervale  we  notice  first  a  two 


107 

acre  piece  of  Jerusalem  artichokes.  The 
plants  seemed  to  be  well  rooted,  and  the 
crop  is  said  to  yield  better  and  to  be 
more  nutricious  food  for  stock  than 
potatoes.  A  little  farther  on  are  fields 
of  carrots,  sugar  beets,  turnips,  potatoes 
and  corn,  all  looking  finely  and  testify- 
ing to  the  experience  and  personal  over- 
sight of  the  superintendent.  All  these 
crops,  however,  are  but  accessories  or 
experiments,  the  leading  crop  is  hay,  of 
which  over  three  hundred  tons  are  raised 
yearly. 

Quite  a  strip  of  land  near  the  river 
bank  is  overflowed  at  high  water,  and  a 
sediment  deposited  which  acts  as  a  fer- 
tilizer. Some  of  this  sward  has  been  un- 
broken for  fifty  jrears,  and  still  produces 
a  fine  crop  of  grass.  Here  may  be  seen 
one  ot  the  curious  freaks  of  Nature. 
What  was  once  a  bend  in  the  river  has 
filled  up,  making  a  level  field  several 
acres  in  extent,  on  which  grass  was 
growing  five  feet  tall.  On  the  new  river 
bank  were  trees  four  or  five  inches  in 
diameter. 

No  surface  dressing  is  applied,  on  the 
principle  that  plants  receive  their  food 
in  the  form  of  gas,  and  where  this  is 
supplied  from  above  most  of  it  passes  off 
into  the  atmosphere  before  It  can  be 
utilized  for  vegetation.  Instead,  the 


108 

ground  is  carefully  plowed,  dressed 
either  with  barnyard  manure  or  Mine 
mixed  with  muck,  and  sown  in  the  fall 
with  grass  seed  alone.  Most  other  far- 
mers in  this  viciiiity  seed  down  in  the 
spring  with  oats  or  barley,  and  have  to 
complain  of  a  poor  catch.  We  noticed 
one  piece  in  particular  that  three  years 
ago  was  covered  with  dark  rnoss.  It 
was  treated  to  a  liberal  coat  of  oyster 
shell  lime,  and  now  cuts  two  tons  to 
the  acre. 

An  inexhaustible  bed  of  muck  supplies 
immense  quantities  of  valuable  fertilizer. 
Prof.  Jackson  analized  it  some  years  ago 
to  ascertain  for  what  crops  it  was  best 
suited.  The  Almighty  provides  a  sim- 
pler and  cheaper  test — experiment.  All 
crops,  so  far  as  tried,  do  well  on  it.  A 
very  luxuriant  growth  of  India  wheat 
stood  within  a  few  rods  of  the  cavity 
where  muck  had  been  taken  out.  Far- 
ther on  was  a  strip  of  potatoes  with 
fodder  corn  between  the  rows.  Two 
large  barns  have  been  built  in  the  field, 
and  are  very  convenient  if  work  is 
driving  or  a  sudden  shower  arises. 

Not  the  least  interesting  feature  to  us 
was  the  house  of  Fletcher  Ingalls,  still 
in  comfortable  order,  and  occupied  by 
one  of  the  workmen.  A  little  to  the 
west  is  the  cellar  over  which  stood  the 


109 

first  framed  house  in  town,  built  by 
Fletcher  Ingalls.  on  or  near  the  site,  we 
think,  of  Deacon  Ingalls1  log  house. 
Standing  on  this  spot  we  shuc  our  eyes 
to  the  wide  stretching  green  Held  and 
see  only  a  tiny  clearing,  dotted  here  and 
there  with  blackened  stumps,  and  shut 
in  by  the  primeval  forest.  Just  across 
the  river  is  the  homo  of  Hope  Austin, 
his  nearest  neighbor,  and  right  there 
fastens  the  little  boat,  their  only  means 
of  communication.  Wild  animals  and 
wilder  and  more  savage  In'lians  lurk  in 
the  shadows;  the  hardy  pioneer  stands 
his  gun  near  by  as  he  works,  and  the 
wife  and  mother  slys  out  to  the  spring  01 
patch  of  berries,  every  sense  on  the 
alert;  the  whirr  of  a  bird's  wing  or  the 
snap  of  a  dry  twig  sending  a  spasm  of 
fear  through  her  heart. 

One  hundred  years  ago!  Ah  me! 
How  short  the  road  when  we  glance 
backward ;  how  far  it  stretches  into  fu- 
turity when  we  look  ahead.  Not  a  ves- 
tige now  remains  of  the  old  house.  No 
one  living  ever  saw  the  father  and 
mother  who  built  this  home  in  the  wil- 
derness and  reared  their  children  within 
its  walls;  but  the  framed  house,  finished 
about  three  weeks  before  the  birth  of 
Mrs.  Barker  Burbank,  is  still  in  ex- 
istence. It  is  used  for  a  woo'd-.-hed.  but 


110 

the  Judge  reproaches  himself  for  per- 
mitting such  desecration,  and  intends  to 
preserve  it  as  a  memento  of  those  ''olden 
times."  We  suggest  that  it  be  restored 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  its  original 
appearance,  and  furnished  with  relics  of 
the  early  settlers,  of  which  every  family 
has  one  or  more — a  straight-backed 
kitchen  chair,  a  turnup  bedstead,  home 
made  bed  and  table  linen,  a  plain  glass 
nimbler  thin  as  paper,  a  tiny  silver 
spoon,  or  a  piece  of  quaint  blue  and 
white  or  red  and  white  crockery.  The 
collection  would  be  invaluable  for  itr. 
associations. 

The  pastures  lie  along  the  south  side 
of  the  highway,  and  are  well  cleared  and 
fenced.  Thirty  or  forty  head  of  young 
cattle  are  kept  in  the  lower  enclosure. 
We  noticed  some  fine  one  and  two  year 
olds,  and  one  that  was  curiously  marked 
like  both  parents,  one  side  being  Hoi- 
stein  and  the  other  belted  Dutch.  In  the 
next  enclosure  were  five  or  six  bulls.  A 
large  matched  pair  of  belted  Dutch  have 
been  broken  to  work,  and  one  of  them  is 
frequently  driven  in  harness  by  Lincoln 
1'Jurbank,  a  sou  of  the  superintendent. 
The  Ayrshire  bull,  ''Son  of  Mars/'  and 
several  heifers  were  in  another  field,  and 
still  further  on  a  herd  of  Jerseys.  These 
Jersey  heifers  are  handsome  and  delicate 


Ill 

as  deer,  and  are  considered  very  val- 
uable. Great  pains  are  taken  to  keep 
the  breed  pure,  nearly  every  animal  be- 
ing recorded  in  the  Herd  Book,  and 
some  of  the  pedigrees  extend  back  per- 
fectly pure  for  eighty  years. 

We  stopped  here  just  a  moment  to  ad- 
mire a  silyery  sheet  of  water  formerly 
known  as  Moose  pond,  but  sin-:e  called 
by  the  more  euphonious  title  of  The 
Lake,  and  then  while  the  herdsman  went 
back  on  the  hills  for  the  cows  we  looked 
over  the  barns.  How  handy  everything 
is !  Such  a  nice  chance  for  a  woman  to 
do  chores !  This  was  our  first  envious 
thought.  You  see  we  know  what  it  is 
to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  dozen  pairs  of 
heels  or  horns  to  reach  the  last  creature 
in  the  row.  Here  the  tieups  are  parti- 
tioned into  stalls  holding  two  or  four 
animals,  and  each  fitted  with  a  heavy 
swing  door  that  closes  the  first  stall  as 
it  opens  the  second,  and  so  on.  Under 
these  barns  are  root  cellars. 

''Do  you  consider  silos  of  practical 
valuer'  we  enquired, 

"Certainly,  if  rightly  managed.  Most 
farmers  build  too  large.  Why  I  know 
farmers  in  Massachusetts  who  could  put 
their  whole  farm  into  the  silo." 

The  next  barn  contains  a  row  of  stalls 
for  horses,  a  huge  m-'al-chest,  hay  cutter 


and  mixing-trough.  All  the  lioree 
manure  is  shoveled  into  an  adjoining 
building,  where  it  is  worked  over  by 
swine.  A  lar^e  number  of  Berkshires 
are  kept ;  every  out  of  the  way  corner 
was  full  of  them.  The  tool  room  is  tilled 
with  the  tools  not  in  immediate  use, 
chains,  ploughs.  h/>es.  burrows  and  rakes, 
thus  saving  time  usually  spent  in  hunt- 
ing for  articles  that  have  been  mys- 
teriously spirited  away. 

'"This  I  call  the  hospital.  It  is  often 
expedient  to  remove  a  sick  animal  from 
the  rest  of  the  herd."  And  passing 
through  the  numerous  whitewashed  pens, 
each  with  its  own  outside  door,  we 
thought  preparations  had  been  made  for 
a  general  prevalence  of  pletiro  pneu- 
monia or  epizootic.  So  many  doors  had 
been  opened  that  we  got  bewildered  and 
cannot  say  whether  the  calves  were  in  a 
separate  place  or  not,  but  we  saw  them 
somewhere,  fifteen  or  twenty  of  them,  of 
all  si/es  and  breeds.  Some  were  very 
nice,  though  brought  up  on  skim  milk. 
One,  eight  months  old,  was  larger  than 
an  ordinary  yearling,  and  the  Swiss 
calf.  "Young  Luna,"  was  a  sight  to 
those  unfamiliar  with  the  breed.  She 
has  large  l^gs  set  well  apart,  thick  wrin- 
kled neck,  big  ears,  sticking  straight 
out  like  signboards,  and  is  about  the 


113 
color  of  a  field  mouse. 

The  cows  were  now  slowly  winding 
down  the  hill,  and  turning  reluctantly 
from  the  comfortable  and  convenient 
barns,  we  climbed  into  the  raised  gallery 
along  one  side  the  barn-yard  to  watcli 
them  file  in.  Jerseys  predominant — pale 
cream  color,  with  markings  of  dark  and 
white,  slender  build,  small  head  and 
horns,  and  a  general  appearance  of  deli- 
cacy. Their  milk,  though  not  large  in 
quantity,  is  very  rich.  It  is  set  with 
milk  of  other  breeds,  however,  and  no 
trouble  is  noticed  in  churning  all  to- 
gether. For  ordinary  farmers,  and  by 
such  we  mean  those  who  have  no  income 
beyond  the  products  of  the  farm,  the 
Jersey  is  not  the  best  breed  of  cows  to 
keep.  Their  stock  is  small,  and  many 
think  them  not  hardy  enough  to  thrive 
on  scant  feed  in  open-work  barns.  We 
noticed  Victoria, Gravelotte  and  Nora,  all 
imported.  The  rest  are  as  like  as  two 
peas  in  a  pod,  and  only  the  intelligent 
herdsman,  William  Cotnam,  the  superin- 
tendent or  their  enthusiastic  owner  can 
tell  one  from  another.  The  four  year 
old  heifer,  "Zuider  Zr.e,"  is  remarkable 
for  size,  as  is  also  her  calf,  sired  by 
'•Highland  Chief."  A  noble  pair  of  oxt-n 
might  be  raised  from  such  a  cow,  and 
we  wonder  why  horses  should  supersede 


114 

these  trust y  nnimals.  But  of  all  the 
herd  our  individual  choice  fell  on 
4%Gyp?y,"  a  beautiful  speckled  Ayrshire, 
and  her  daughter,  "Pride-  of  Shelbarnft." 
All  these  breeds  arc  kept  pure,  and  a 
good  chance  is  afforded  to  obtain  first 
class  stock,  much  below  the  usual  price. 
The  grain  is  stowed  in  the  Green  barn, 
an  eighth  of  a  mile  above,  where  it  is 
threshed  and  ground.  The  house  on  this 
place  has  been  remodeled,  aod  during 
the  summer  is  lt-t  to  city  visitors.  Judge 
Burbank  also  owns  the  Ga'.es  place  on 
the  north  side  the  river,  hut  it  cannot 
properly  be  said  to  belong  to  the  stock 
farm,  as  no  work  is  done  on  it  except  to 
cut  the  hay. 

We  must  not  forget  to  mention  the 
poultry,  which,  according  to  the  capital 
required,  is  the  best  paying  stock  on  any 
farm.  About  two  hundred  chickens 
were  encamped  around  the  back  door. 
Some  in  common  wooden  coops,  and  the 
very  youngest  in  smaller  ones  of  wire 
screen.  Plymouth  Rocks  are  kept  for 
mothers,  as  they  sit  steady  and  are  not 
inclined  to  rove,  but  the  brown  Leg- 
horns are  considered  the  best  eg£  pro- 
ducers. 

The  water  supply  at  the  farm  Is  plenti- 
ful and  good.  A  well  forty-eight  feet  in 
depth  never  fails  to  supply  clear  cold 


115 

water,  and  a  new  acqueduct  was  laid 
this  fall  bringing  water  from  the  hills  to 
the  barn-yards  in  lead  pipe.  A  grove  of 
pines  has  been  set  out  at  the  west  end 
of  the  house.  They  make  rather  sombre 
shade  trees,  but  this  is  obviated  in  a 
measure  by  trimming  them  high.  Miss 
Mary  Wormwood,  the  housekeeper  fur 
many  years,  has  personal  oversight  of 
all  the  housework,  butter-making,  etc., 
and  in  the  summer  requires  the  assist- 
ance of  three  or  four  girls. 

Brilliant  hued  peacocks  display  their 
beauty  on  the  lawn,  doves  coo  and  flutter 
overhead,  pet  rabbits  hop  away,  then 
turn  and  look  back  with  pink  startled 
eyes,  a  tiny  white  boat  rocks  on  a  sheet 
of  water  near  by,  fanciful  summer- 
houses  stand  where  the  views  are  most 
delightful,  horses  and  carriages,  every- 
thing combine  to  make  this  place  not 
only  a  resource  for  money  making,  but  a 
pleasant  home  where  the  owner  and  his 
family  can  spend  their  summers  in  quiet 
enjoyment. 

Perhaps  a  brief  sketch  of  the  Propri- 
etor of  the  White  Mountain  Stock  Farm 
may  not  be  uninteresting,  especially  to 
the  friends  of  his  boyhood,  to  whom  the 
re  nembrance  of  his  genial  good  nature 
and  strong  love  of  home,  are  more  famil- 


110 
iar  of  late  years  than  hi?  presence. 

Robert  Instils  Bnrbank  is  the  oldest 
son  of  Barker  Burbank.  son  of  <_apt. 
EHphalet  Burbank,  of  Gilead,  and  Folly 
Ingalls,  only  child  of  Fletcher  Injjalls. 

For  many  years  his  father  was  a  man 
of  wealth  and  influence,  a  social  and 
political  leader;  and  in  many  re- 
spects his  mother  was  the  most  note- 
worthy of  the  women  of  Shelburne. 
Th  >ugh  she  passed  most  of  her  lite,  a 
long  life  of  more  than  four  score  years, 
within  sight  of  her  birth-place,  many  a 
travelled  lady  might  envy  her  attainments 
and  knowledge  of  the  outside  world.  In 
her  family  were  doctors,  lawyers,  teach- 
ers, educated  men.  accomplished  and 
refined  women ;  but  each  and  all  could 
find  in  mother  a  companion  capable  of 
under.'tanding  their  highest  aspirations. 
She  retained  her  faculties  to  the  end  of 
life,  and  "mother's  room"  was  a  refuge 
where  cares  were  made  lighter,  and 
troubles  forgotten  by  loving  sympathy. 
The  aged  parents  now  sleep  their  last, 
long  sl^ep  together  in  the  little  cemetery 
overlooking  the  lake,  but;  their  memories 
will  live  for  generations  like  the  ever 
green  pines  that  wave  above  them. 

Robert  attended  the  common  schools 
until  far  enough  advanced  to  go  to 
Bethel  Academy,  where  he  was  a  pupil 


117 

of  that  veteran  teacher  N.  T.  True.  Af- 
terward he  taught  nine  schools,  several 
of  them  in  Shelburne.  The  following 
anecdote  is  characteristic,  and  illustrates 
that  natural  kindness  of  heart  that  ever 
seeks  to  life  up  the  lowly,  care  for  the 
neglected,  bring  torward  the  diffident,  in 
short  that  finds  its  greatest  pleasure  in 
the  pleasure  of  others.  When  Mr.  Bur- 
bank  taught  school  in  the  Moses  Jlock 
school-house,  he  numbered  among  his 
scholars  the  late  Nathaniel  Wells,  of 
Gorhatn.  then  living  at  Stephen  Pea- 
body's.  Mr.  Wells  had  enjoyed  very 
limited  school  privileges,  and  conse- 
quently was  behind  others  of  his  age. 
Of  course  he  was  picked  upon  and  tor- 
mented in  every  conceivable  way.  If 
his  persecutors  had  been  only  boys  he 
would  have  held  his  own,  but  when  the 
hig  girls  turned  against  him  he  was  de- 
fenceless, and  gallantly  bure  the  abuse 
in  silence.  O:ie  noon,  however,  the 
teacher  Happened  in  unexpectedly.  a;id 
caught  them  in  tlie  midst  of  their  cruel 
sport. 

"1  am  ashamed  of  you!"  he  cried  in- 
dignantly to  the  blushing  girls.  "O.ily 
think  how  much  greater  your  advantage* 
have  been  than  Nathaniel's,  and  yet  your 
acquirements  are  smaller  in  proportion 
thau  his.  Never  let  uie  see  again  such 


118 

an  instance  of  unkindness.  hut  instead  of 
langhii'g  at  him  for  his  difficulties,  try 
to  encourage  and  help  him." 

Mr.  Bui-bunk  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth in  July,  1843,  and  went  to  Cam- 
bridge Law  School,  but  left  the  next 
year  to  enter  the  office  of  Daniel  Web- 
ster. Here  he  remained  for  years  as 
Webster's  private  secretaiy.  spending 
one  summer  at  that  statesman's  farm  in 
Marshfield.  In  1846  he  entered  the  Mass, 
bar,  and  after  travelling  in  the  West 
made  his  home  permanently  in  Boston, 
where  he  has  held  many  offices  of  honor 
and  trust;  being  several  times  City  Coun- 
cillor, Stare  Representative,  State  Sen- 
ator. Chief  Justice  of  one  of  the  City 
Courts,  and  Commander  of  the  3d  Bat 
talion  and  1st  Reg.  Massachusetts  Vol. 
Militia;  but  sis  he  himself  says  "plways 
a  farmer,  the  highest  honor  of  all."  He 
is  also  a  writer  and  lecturer  of  note,  and 
frequently  lecrures  on  agriculture.  Two 
years  ago  he  delivered  a  course  of  lec- 
tures at  Dartmouth  Agricultural  Col- 
ego,  and  this  year  has  been  appointed 
lecturer  at  the  «arn«>  college. 

He  manied  Miss  Lizzie  VV.  Christie,  a 
wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  lady, 
daughter  of  Daniel  M.  Christie,  LL.  D. 
of  Dover,  by  whom  he  has  two  children, 
a  son  and  daughter  now  living.  Another 


119 
son  died  in  early  childhood. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage,  Judge 
Burbank  and  his  bride  went  on  an  ex- 
tended tour  through  Europe.  While 
visiting  the  gorgeous  palaces  of  Em- 
perors, the  Xational  galleries  of  art,  and 
the  ruins  of  Historical  Castles,  he  found 
time  to  inspect  the  most  noted  stock 
farms  of  the  world,  and  the  success  of 
breeders  intensified  his  already  ardent 
love  for  farming  and  for  superior  stock. 

Several  years  before  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  formed  the  idea  of  building  a 
summer  residence  somewhere  near  bis 
old  home,  but  was  induced  finally  to 
put  his  money  into  the  homestead  itself. 
The  buildings  have  been  repaired  and 
improved,  worn  out  fields  restored  to  fer- 
tility, nice  fences  built,  pastures  cleared 
up  and  stocked  with  the  best  animals  of 
all  breeds.  A  few  weeks  every  summer 
are  passed  here  by  tne  Judge  and  his 
family,  and  all  visitors  are  welcomed 
with  impartial  courtesy. 


120 


APPENDIX. 

When  we  wrote  this  hriet  ai»d  imper- 
fect sketch  of  Shelburne  for  the  columns 
of  the  MOUNTAINEER  we  did  not  realize 
how  many  eyes  would  scan  the  lines,  or 
how  many  memories  would  be  busy 
over  every  detail.  Traditions  handed 
down  from  father  to  son  for  generations 
always  become  more  or  less  changed,  and 
one  could  hardly  recognize  their  own  ex- 
ploits when  related  by  great-grand- 
children. Many  items  which  some  assure 
us  are  positive  facts  are  regarded  by 
others  a1*  gross  misrepresentations. 
However  the  errors  can  injure  no  one, 
for  we  believe  the  evil  tnen  do  should  be 
buried  with  them.  There  is  plenty  of 
good  in  every  nature  to  occupy  our 
thoughts  and  our  tongues,  and  it'  in  one 
heart  has  been  roused  a  renewed  interest 
for  those  who  bore  the  "burden  and  heat 
of  the  day.''  we  shall  not  have  written 
wholly  in  vain. 

For  ourselves,  we  have  become  fas- 
cinated with  tJuoge  old  time  heroes.  As 
the  ideal  character-  of  Byron  and  Shelley 
were  living  realities  to  sentimental  Isabel 
Sleaford.  real  beings  whom  she  knew 
}>nd  loved,  so  these  hardy  backwoods- 


121 

men.  brave  to  meet  danger,  strong  to  en- 
dure disappointment,  these  saintly  wo- 
men, patient,  self-denying,  true-hearted, 
assume  the  individuality  of  old  friends. 
The  unsightly  log  houses  that  once 
covered  the  numerous  grass-grown  cav- 
ities called  ••cellar-holes"  are  pleasant 
homes,  ringing  with  the  happy  voices  of 
children,  or  breathing  the  hushed,  sol- 
emn' accents  ol  prayer.  Religion  svas 
more  than  an  empty  nnme  One  linndied 
yeais  ago;  and  tnongli  often  bigoted,  in- 
tolerant aud  unreasonable,  ii  was  a  gov- 
erning puwer  in  their  lives. 

We  regret  that  we  did  not  endeavor 
to  write  a  reliable  History,  but  as  it  is 
too  late  now,  the  most  evident  mi.-t.ik"s 
will  be  corrected  here. 

.1st.  Unintentionally  the  wife  of  Moses 
Ingalls  was  given  to  his  won  Frederick, 
and  vice  versa,  Mr.  Ingalls  lived  near 
where  C.  J,  Lary  now  does,  and  Timothy 
Hodgdoif  s  grandparents  on  the  hill.  Ou 
Mr.  Ingalls'  ninetieth  birthday  Mrs. 
Hoilgdon,  whose  age  was  ihe  same,  call- 
ed upon  him  and  he  sleeved  her  home. 

2d.  Nathaniel  Porter  married  Sarah 
Ingalls,  a  grand-daughter  of  Daniel  In- 
galls. and  had  a  tamily  of  nine,  one  boy 
and  eight  girls  instead  of  seven.  Only 
one  has  died,  Polly,  Mrs.  Hezikiah  Ord- 
way.  Of  the  seyen  sisters  living,  BetsyT 


122 

formerly  Mrs.  Supply  Stevenson,  ia 
eighty-four.  Hannah,  Mrs.  Emery  of 
Medford,  Mass.,  is  a  remarkably  well- 
preserved  lady  of  eighty-two.  It  is 
rarely  that  so  large  a  family  grow  old 
without  a  break  in  the  circle. 

The  Messers  are  a  hardy  and  prolific 
race.  Samuel,  a  son  of  Stephen  Messer. 
has  not  been  heard  from  by  his  friends 
in  Shelburne  for  seventy-live  years,  bni. 
at  that  time  his  own  descendants  num- 
bered seventy-five.  Nancy  Messer  had 
twelve  children,  but  the  Peabody  ele- 
ment seemed  to  lack  constitution,  for 
one  half  of  them  died  young.  Still  her 
living  descendants  to-day  are  fifty-four. 
Betsy  Messer  had  tea  children  and  lost 
only  one  in  childhood,  Eliza,  who  died  at 
th«  age  of  fifteen,  of  a  white  swelling  on 
her  knee.  Her  daughter  Mary,  Mrs. 
William  Newell,  is  eighty-two,  anil  the 
oldest  person  in  town. 

In  speaking  of  doctors  we  neglected  to 
state  how  people  fared  before  the  ad- 
vent of  Dr.  Howe.  .Women  cared  for 
rheir  own  families, mostly,  always  laying 
up  a  store  <>f  catnip,  spearmint,  tansy, 
mullein  leaves,  burdock,  etc.  If  these 
herbs  were  cut  on  a  dry  morning  before 
dog  days  began,  they  would  cure  the 
most  common  ailments  to  which  "flesh 
is  heir  to."'  Everyone  saved  a  big  bottle 
of  goose  oil  for  croup,  and  the  decanters 


123 

were  filled  with  rum,  brandy  and  some- 
times whiskey.  In  severe  cases  of  fever, 
childbirth  or  unknown  complications, 
Granny  Starbird  was  sent  for.  She  went 
long  journeys  horseback,  and  was  called 
very  skillful,  doctoring  mostly  with 
root*  and  herbs.  Ezekiel  Evans  could 
pull  teeth,  and  people  had  to  stand  it 
without  the  aid  of  laughing  gas.  Jn  1832 
and  '33,  when  the  throat  distemper  raged, 
Dr.  Howe  was  quite  young,  it  was  a  new 
disease,  and  he  lost  nearly  every  patient 
at  first.  Like  its  counterpart.  Diphtheria, 
it  swept  away  whole  families,  or  singled 
out  the  fairest  of  the  flock.  Stephen 
Peabody  had  buried  two.  and  his  only 
remaining  child  lay  at  Death's  do<»r. 
when  s»  travelling  doctor,  by  the  name  of 
Griswold,  passed  through  the  place. 
Hearing  of  the  peculiarly  sad  circum- 
stances at  Mr.  Peabody's  he  called,  and 
after  seeing  the  child  declared  his  ability 
to  cure  her.  It  was  the  straw  held  to  a 
drowning  man.  but  the  afflicted  parents 
caught  eagerl}"  at  the  slender  hope  of 
saving  one  of  their  little  family.  The 
prescription  was  given  to  the  nurse, 
Nancy  Peabody,  and  soon  there  was  a 
change  for  the  better.  A  few  days  later 
Nathaniel  Wells,  the  hired  man,  was 
taken  sick.  Dr.  Howe  was  called,  but 
a*  soon  as  he  lelt  the  nurse  turned  his 


124 

medicine  on  the  ashes,  and  fol lowed  Dr. 
Griswold's  directions.  When  Dr.  Howe 
made  his  next  visit  he  found  the  patient 
decidedly  better. 

••1  am  surprised,"  he  exclaimed,  with 
professionabgravity,  >kl  am  really  sur- 
prised to  see  what  effect  my  medicine 
has  had  on  Nathaniel.'' 

11  he  mistrusted  the  fate  of  his  pills 
and  potions  he  wisely  said  nothing,  but 
from  that  time  he  always  recommended 
Miss  Peabody  as  nurse  when  he  had  a 
case  of  distemper. 

'•There  is  as  much  in  nursing,"  he  was 
wont  to  say.  '-as  in  doctoring." 

In  the  account  of  the  Indian  raid,  we 
tii id  great  diversity.  Some  are  positive 
that  Capt.  Kludge  or  Ridge  lived  near 
Otis  Evans',  others  are  equally  certain 
that  his  house  stood  near  Martin  Bur- 
bank's.  We  incline  to  the  latter  opinion, 
for  Segar,  an  eye  witness,  says  in  his 
Xarative:  '"After  this  we  went  with  the 
Indians  to  the  house,  where  Capt.  Ridge, 
the  owner  of  the  house,  with  his  wife 

and  children  were. the  Indians  went 

out  and  scalped  Mr.  Poor."  Thus  giving 
the  impression  that  Mr.  Poor's  body  lay 
but  a  short  distance  from  Capt.  Ridge's 
house.  No  other  atrocity  was  ever 
committed  here,  but  for  many  years  In- 
dians occasionally  passed  through  the 


125 

place  in  their  war  paint,  drinking,  danc- 
ing and  feaating  at  some  barn  or  by  the 
roadside.  The  old  revolutionary  soldiers 
had  a  strong  antipathy  to  the  very  sight 
of  them.  "Godfrey  knows,"  oM  John 
Lary  used  to  say  to  his  friend  and  com- 
rade, Jonathan  Evans,  Sr.,  i%if  I  had  a 
gun  I'd  shoot  tin  Indian  as  quick  as  I 
would  a  partridge," 

In  a  mention  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
Rebellion  we  omitted  the  namd  of  Cor- 
poral Ellery  Wheeler.  17th  N.  H. 

In  the  chapter  on  ctinrcb.es.  for  Barker 
read  Barber.  Many  will  remember  that 
'good  but  accentric  minister.  It  was  his 
custom  to  pop  in  on  people  at  tlie  mo  t 
unreasonable  hours,  fivquuiiily  happen- 
ing in  to  breakfa»t  or  just  as  the  family 
were  retiring.  It  is  an  excfll«-nt  w -<y  to 
find  out  the  "true  inwardness''  of  a 
church.  If  one  of  the  Elders  can  tumble 
over  the  barnyard  bars  about  daylight 
and  spill  a  pail  of  new  milk  without 
losing  the  key  of  the  revival  melody  he 
was  humming,  there  can  be  no  question 
about  his  piety.  A  great  religious  exr 
citement  was  experienced  during  Mr. 
Barber's  sojourn  here,  beginning  about 
the  time  of  Judge  Ingalls'  death,  and 
lasting  two  or  three  years.  Mr.  aud  Mrs. 
James  Hall  were  prominent  supporters 
of  the  meetings,  and  their  house  was  a 


favorite  resort  for  prayer  meetings.  Now 
they  have  gone  where  ''pr.-iyer  i«  changed 
to  praise,"  others  have  moved  away,  the 
enthusiastic  converts  have,  grown  in- 
different, the  tid:d  wave  of  reformation 
lias  subsided.  This  generation  has  seen 
both  its  religious  and  temperance  re- 
vival, and  not  till  our  children  take  our 
places  can  there  be  such  intense  and 
general  enthusiasm. 

Operations  have  been  indifinitely  sus- 
pended at  the  L^ad  Mine,  but  our  mine 
is  still  there,  and  some  day  the  right 
Company  will  come  along  and  unearth 
its  hidden  riches. 

In  conclusion  we  quote  the  words  of  a 
Shelburne  boy  who  has  seen  other  and 
larger  places,  "Shelburne  is  just  as 
good  a  place  as  there  is  in  the  world. 
Alwnys  plenty  of  work,  good  wages  and 
good  fo!k«  to  work  for." 

THE    END, 


127 


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